Wasted Life
by Koorihouka
Summary: Future Arc: Kaia's sent into the future and safely taken to base. Though still shocked from the things she'd witnessed in this world, she still firmly grips the deep hatred she holds against the Vongola, despite having no knowledge of the mafia. Ch106 up!
1. Class Listings

Fuuuu... it's my first try at this type of stuff, but oh well...

xD

please be generous with reviewing, but I *heart* criticism tooo~

love you all readers!~

I don't own KHR....

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Raiahu Kaiashi is a student at Namimori Middle School. Yeah, as if she lives in that messed-up city. She goes to Kokyou Middle School. She's fresh from elementary school, now in seventh grade.

First order of business in middle school – freak out.

She _hated_ the new uniforms.

Short skirts = peeking guys = more perverts on the loose.

That was her logic with short skirts.

In truth, she was quite a smart kid. (But doesn't really have much of a life outside school... hence the studying?)

It was already amazing enough she didn't even get glasses like all the other kids. (She had contacts since her eyesight started to blur.)

She was a little better than average in PE class... (*is forced to attend secret training classes for all kinds of things*)

And she blends into the crowd quite well. (In other words, she is insignificant.)

She ties up her short, stubby brown ponytail all the time with a **bright **orange rubber band, wears stockings under her school uniform skirt, and buys her clothes a little baggy. She's a baggy person. Well, baggy for clothes. She is underweight. By a _lot_. She goes out to the store and gets baggy clothes so she doesn't look that skinny.

Her features were very average-like; not much was very unusual about her, aside from how normal she looked. Brown hair, brown eyes, soft complexion, not too tall. Neither is she a midget.

Since, one, she is insignificant and can blend into crowds easily, and two, she looked so impossibly normal, nobody at all knew what she did during the weekends.

At first, even Raiahu Kaiashi herself didn't know. She would hang out at her apartment most of the time, go on the internet, watch TV, read, or do homework, or go outside to do some shopping or something. Her mom had divorced her dad; the dad went off to who-knows where. Her mom is away most of the time, making money.

And our Kaia over here would be enjoying all the money. (*cough, cough.* Not really. She still has a weekly allowance.)

Okay, now a week of middle school had finally passed, leaving Kaia exhausted and stressed out. Totally.

And the classes weren't even planned out!

She dragged herself to the class board the next morning, her backpack like a sack of rocks. A few people regarded her with concerned or weird looks, but Kaia ignored them. When she finally found her footing, she peered at the class board.

_Class 1A... lalalalala, not my name, not my name, no, no, no GAAHHH NOO NOT MY NAME NOO..._

"Noo...." groaned Kaia. She looked up, as a friend came hopping over, screaming Bloody Mary.

"Kai-Kai-Kai-Kai~!"

"What is it, Haruka?!" frowned Kaia.

"KYAA I'M IN CLASS 1B!!" She leaped up and down.

"WHAAT?! NOOOO..." groaned poor Kaia. "I'm in class 1A..."

"Eh?" Haruka stopped jumping up and down, and looked at the board list once again.

"Ohh....."

"Yeah, ohhh," grimaced Kaia.

"Well, who's in your class?"

"Hmm?" Kaia looked at the board again.

_No...no... this can't be happening! No-wait... oh dear, there's going to be – what? Like twenty one of the thirty people in class are bullies! Boy bullies, only! And the girl bullies are five people... OH THIS IS JUST MY LUCK TODAY AND FOR THE FIRST YEAR IN MIDDLE SCHOOL. Only four sane people are in class. Okay, that's me, Kakimoto Chikusa, Chrome Dokuro and... and....?! WHAAT?! THERE'S ONLY TWENTY-NINE OF US?! NOOOOOOO....._

Kaia was literally on the verge of tears by the time she was finished with the class list of class 1A.

"Kai...?" Haruka was concerned about Kai, however the bell rang, and they both went to class. (*ahem. Haruka dragged Kaia to class 1A, and she continued to her class next-door.)

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oh yeah, I haven't explained anything… :D

Sorries, readers.

I wanted to try my hand at some romance [though I'm not so sure anymore…]. And…I want some votes in. When you review. Please~

Pairing for OCx? I mean.

Sorry for those who like romance between actual characters in the manga/anime; you guys should go rooting somewhere else for that.

And I'm also thinking about who actually _likes _her in the first place. They don't have to be in Kokyou; hey, the pairing could be between poor Kaia and another OC I'll be introducing in the future… heheheh…

Also – I'm going to be updating in scenes. So that reviewers/voters have time to think about it, and by then, the votes should be enough so that I can see clearly what you readers want.

And you can send in multiple votes too, so… get voting~! xD

So, that's about it. I thank all those who read, and I thank even more those who review~!

Oh and I will only update it I get at least one review, so start REVIEWING~!


	2. First Middle School Lunch

Okay, I got a review, so I now post another entry to this…interesting story. xD

It was a story out of my writer's block for my other story…So I still need some pairing ideas.

Oh, and, um Lassitude, I've already written quite a lot, so your comments won't really be counted until much, much later. Sorry, though. :D If you really want those things to be revised, then you tell me, okay? Thanks~

Well, on with the story~!

BTW: I don't own KHR.

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Kaiashi was half-dead by the time class officially started. She could hear nothing, just see everyone stand up, one by one, and introduce themselves or something. Once the person who sat in front of her, a bully called Joshima Ken, finished drawling his lame introduction, Kaia sighed and stood up nervously.

"I'm Raiahu Kaiashi... Um, well, uh, good morning...?!" squeaked our poor little girl, before sitting down immediately. She was shy talking in front of a ton of people. And much more shy if she speaks to a large audience of people that didn't like her at all.

"Thank you, Raiahu," nodded the teacher. The person behind Kaia started to speak.

"Kakimoto Chikusa." That was all she heard of the person. That is, so far...

Anyways, on the class dragged, and on and on it did.

Once the lunch bell rang, Kaia was first out the door, both teacher and students staring at her as if she were weird. However, she was thinking this:

_YES YES FINALLY YES! IT'S LUNCHTIME AND I'M FINALLY OUT OF THAT HELLISH PLACE!! YES YAAAAHHH MUAAHHAHHHAHAHAA!!_

She sought out Haruka, grasping her lunch tightly in her hand. Too tightly.

"Yes! It's FINALLY lunch! You wanna go eat?" Kaia smiled.

"Ehh.... I can't..."

"EHH?! WHY?!"

"I sorta... got in trouble..."

"What trouble...?"

"I accidentally flung a rubber band straight into the teacher's face," she flushed with embarrassment. Kaia laughed.

"OH, that'll be good!" Kai smiled. "Well, just do what they tell you to do for punishment and come quick; I wanna eat lunch together~"

"Okay..." Haruka was unsure. "I think they give detention here..."

"Like until the end of lunch?"

"Get someone to eat lunch with you for now. If I come to eat lunch, then let's eat," she grinned.

"Okay." With two thumbs up, they parted.

Kaia was significantly saddened. She had nobody to eat lunch with on the first official day of middle school... She decided to start nibbling away at her lunch at the one place she and Haruka always sat at for lunch – the swing set.

Though it was very old, it was in good condition. There were only two seats, perfect for someone and a friend to hang out at. She sat on the one on the left, the place she usually sat.

She sighed sadly.

_It's lonely..._

She took to daydreaming, her lunch forgotten in her hands.

While she had been daydreaming, someone, or, a few people, have come and sat down on the other swing. Kaia looked up.

"Hey, that's my friend's spot..."

"Really? Can I be your friend, too, then?" asked the girl. Two familiar boys disappeared into the shadows.

"Hey – aren't you that Chrome-san in my class?"

"Yeah..."

"But... wasn't that Chikusa and Ken? What were you doing with them anyways?"

"Eh... they're my...eh... brother's friends... They're quite nice, after a while," Chrome smiled.

"Umm..." Kaia couldn't really bring herself to agree with Chrome. _Isn't she a new student? She wasn't in any of the elementary schools, I'm sure..._

"Can I...uh... eat here? Is it okay to eat lunch with you?" smiled Chrome. "You look lonely."

"Ah, eh, sure..." shrugged Kaia.

"You are... Raiahu Kaiashi, right?" asked Chrome.

"Yeah, but my friends call me Kai or Kaia."

"Okay... Then you're Kaia."

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Well, this was…interesting. :D

Anyone who wants a pairing, VOTE. Thanks to all who do~

The deadline will be… I don't know how soon or later. Depends on how many reviews I get, and how often I get stuck in writer's block…

Well, bye for now, and I'll be back with updates sometime later!

Have an awesome day, thanks for reading~!

xD


	3. Complaints

Well, now it's the third chapter, and it hasn't been two days since I first made the story. Or three days… :D

I lost track.

Anyway, I'm still wanting people to at least suggest some pairings, please… :D

I don't care with who, as long as it's reasonable and if everyone else agrees with it.

Again, sorry, Lassitude, I didn't incorporate your comments, sorry. I'm currently writing chapter 10 something, and I think you'll see the difference sometime there.

Readers, read! And review!

I don't own KHR.

Read~! Review~!!

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In the end, Haruka didn't come back to eat lunch with Kaia.

Kai was very sad at this, however had more important things to focus on right now, like trying to survive class.

Well, the class once again dragged on and on and on...

But the worst came when she got home.

She walked back home, a little too quickly, but she noticed a letter in the mailbox.

_Dear Kaia,_

_Mama can't hold the mortgage on the apartment here in Koukyou, so everything has to be moved out by tonight. I sent a mover's truck to come by tomorrow at five pm. You don't have to go to school that day, since the school knows you have to move. Make sure nothing is ruined or anything, okay, dear? When the mover's truck drops you off at an apartment complex, go to your apartment number 1304. It is a comfy apartment for one person over in the other city called Namimori, since I've been laid off on my job. I'm still going to stay in Canada to find another job, okay? If there are any problems setting up anything, I'm sure friends and neighbors can help you..._

_Mama._

Kaia was infuriated by this message.

She knew that since they had no money, they had to go find another place to live in. Namimori was plagued with rumors – some sinister and others not. Nevertheless, house and apartment prices there were much cheaper than the Koukyou prices here; Kaia would understand the financial reason, however was very irritated.

Of course, she didn't want boys in underwear running about the streets, does she?

She definitely doesn't want to go somewhere and see a random poof of pink smoke, then witness the hilarity that ensues afterwards.

And she wouldn't even survive the school there with a truckload of weirdness in it like random midget substitute teachers.

So she called her mother immediately.

"MA..." she whined.

"What is it, dear?" she sounded anxious.

"Why do I have to move to Namaimori?! There's weird people that live there, you know?!"

"No, it can't be that bad, right?"

"But it is! There's boys that run about on the streets wearing nothing but underpants and people that explode in pink smoke! And-and... And the school is really weird too..." complained Kai.

"Well, maybe those boys were out swimming or something, sweetheart. And there could be a lot of people that were dared to throwing pink smoke bombs there. It'll be fun, trust me." The voice was cheerful. However, Kaia frowned. She couldn't go against her mother's actions just because she was under-informed. So she sighed.

"Okay, fine."

"That's my girl. You'll get used to it in no time, anyways. Tell me – have you made any friends so far?"

"Eh... well Haruka's still my friend," said Kaia. "And there's this new kid over at my school – her name's Chrome Dokuro, I think. We've just met, and I think we're okay-ish."

Her mother paused for a moment.

"Oh... well that's nice, dear, but I have to do something urgent. I'll call you later if you want me to..."

"No, its okay. I have to pack up, anyways."

"Bye, love you."

"Yeah. Bye..."

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That's it for now, and I hope readers will review~! :D

Thanks, Justine, for reviewing, and keeping this story going!!

READ. REVIEW. VOTE. **NOW.**

Have an awesome break/week! xD


	4. First Impressions

Well this is going rather quick… :D

Next time, I want at least _two_ reviews before the next update; and I'm looking for those pairing votes… :D

If nobody votes when the deadline comes by, then it's going to be crushes – Everyone x OC. That is, until someone votes; and that will be the "winner…"

Or people can vote for first kisses, first dates, etc.

:D

I know it's going to be fun~! ^^

-I don't own KHR…-

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Raiahu Kaiashi looked around the city. She had already moved in, and decided to check out the market. If there was no chocolate, no cake, no anything good, she's probably not going to survive living in Namimori. Luckily, the first thing she noticed was a rather prominent cake shop. But the next second…

BOOM.

Kaia, without need to say so, was surprised, and she nearly jumped with fright. The cake shop…just…exploded…

The sign, or what used to be the sign, was face-down on the ground, so Kaia couldn't tell if it was one of her favorite stores. Good thing, since she'd be probably lethal enough to kill, that is, if she could. But she couldn't. She sighed and face-palmed herself. _Namimori, why are you being so hard on me today…_

And then she could hear other noises. _Tching, tching, tching! _Ria turned her head around so she could catch a glimpse of the thing that was making the sound. She thought it would be a nearby kendo place, or something like that, or maybe a secret samurai training place, even! But she didn't care for those things. Those were for boys to swoon over; Ria's got other things to do, like look for a place she can regularly eat at.

So she walked on.

It wasn't long until she found a decent little restaurant with good food, good prices, and good service. More like an aisle of restaurants and fast-food places, and Kaia was happy with her freedom of choice. She just wasn't as happy as she would have been – if only there were still that cake shop over at the downtown square…

She didn't feel hungry enough for anything other than what she came for, so she walked on, noting other stores and stalls around town. She saw a few joggers passing by, however was blown away when one jogger came speeding by so speedily, there was a prominent wind that came whooshing by after him. Throughout the incident, Ria heard a single word, repeated a great many times. And that word was:

"**EXTREME!!"**

She also heard "EXTREME RUNNING!!", "EXTREME JOGGING!!", and "TO THE EXTREME!!" a number of times as well. Now, her hair was ruffled, and she felt dizzy. Kaia steadied herself, and stood up straight, and walked straight on ahead, as if no such thing had happened. She seated herself at an outdoor table with a parasol positioned on top of it. As she felt like just falling asleep there, she heard a cry.

"Hey, hey, um, person, MOVE!"

Kaia looked around drowsily, but she just stood up and stepped aside had the table smashed into pieces by the impact of two people leaping off of the roof of a nearby tall building. Miraculously, the taller man was too busy beating up the littler kid to know there was an innocent bystander beside him (and since Kaia's amazing 'blend into the crowd' power was working). She sleepily walked over to the brick wall nearby, and sat down against it to continue her nice, comfy nap (that will be interrupted a little too soon in the future).

Apparently the person who was beating up the little kid that also jumped off the building decided the little kid had been beaten enough (and this was true, since he was on the ground…).

"VOOI!! What's this?!" the taller man grinned. Ria was completely unaware of the person looming over her for a few seconds, or until she opened her eyes to find that there was an irregular shadow over her.

The man frowned.

"Oh, so _you're _not the brat I'm looking for, eh?" laughed the man. He raised his blade and prepared to strike. "You're going to tell me where he is!"

There was a cry, and, all of a sudden, the rumored underwear-boy came charging out of nowhere, crashing into the man that was about to strike Ria. "I WILL DEFEAT HIM WITH MY DYING WILL!!"

Kaia oogle-eyed the underwear-boy with rather fearful eyes. Now, she was far from falling asleep; she slowly inched away from the battling two, coming face-to-face with two guys. This, she regarded with a fearful and surprised look. Kaia was on the verge of running home, packing up, and moving out that very second. She froze as she looked. A few seconds passed, and Kaia ran for it. She ran for her life, at the fastest speed she could muster.

She was relieved nobody was coming after her; the tall man that stood over her had a sword for a hand, the underwear-boy was aflame, and the two guys, one had a very long, and very sharp, and a very dangerous sword that gleamed, and the other guy had a cigarette in his mouth, and he had lit dynamite sticks in his hands… Dear, was Kaia surprised! No, surprised is an understatement; she was stupefied by that very knowledge that there existed a man with white, _flowing_ hair and a sword for an arm, an underwear-boy with metal gloves (wouldn't that be heavy?!) and a head on fire, a teenager with a rather scary-looking sword, and another teenager that looked scary and evil-ish with that scary glare who had a cigarette in his mouth and lit _yellow_ dynamite sticks in his hand, possibly ready to explode him into itty-bitty tiny little pieces at any given moment in time.

So, yeah, she was scared…and stupefied.

In her mad dash home, Ria bumped into two people – one blue-haired person, and one purple-haired person. Literally. And they all fell into the sidewalk – everyone except for the blue-haired person and the purple-haired person. They both were appalled at Kaia's apparent condition, and rather stunned by the speed at which she was running.

"Eh?? Kaia-san?! Are you alright?!" The purple-haired person kneeled down to help Kaia up as she started to pick herself up.

"Ah, than- CHROME?! What are you doing here? I thought you were in Kokyou…?"

"Oh, um, this is my brother," smiled Chrome. "His name is Rokudo Mukuro, or, that's what people would call him. Nobody really calls him anything else aside from that, so, uh, yeah."

"Ohh…this is your brother? Hello, um, Rokudo Mukuro…" said the badly shaken Ria. First, a random four people turn up (not counting the unconscious little guy the white-haired guy was beating up at first) and then, Chrome's mystery brother?! He was like, like a… _pineapple…_

"Pleased to meet you," smiled Rokudo Mukuro.eHe He dipped his head, a sign of salutations to the person he faced. "Raiahu Kaiashi."

"Erm, thanks… Uh, Chrome, does he go to school?" Ria turned to Chrome, occasionally taking a few fearful glances behind her back. "I mean, he wears the Kokyou uniform, too…"

"High school; you won't see him that much," said Chrome.

"Ohh, okay, then, uh, Chrome, tell me if you know any cake or sweets shops around here, and uh, if you want, we can all meet later, and you can properly introduce him, okay?? I got to go…" Ria took a few more side-glances to what was happening where she was before. And seeing that the EXTREME jogger was about to run over her, she quickly stepped to the side, allowed the jogger to go through, and she, too, ran as fast as she could to her destination.

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There you go, that's the update for today! xD

Tune in next time, everyone!

Don't forget to review and vote~!!

Have an awesome break/week~!

xD


	5. Complaints Continued

Well, I just decided to get the story going, because it's going to get interesting in the next…few scenes… Heh.

:D

I don't own KHR.

REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW~! Please!

-At least the main OC introduction is finished.-

[But more are coming, and at least it isn't a lot… I mean, it's not like the characters are the only people in the world…]

Lassitude, again I apologize; I've already written this part before I first posted the story, so none of your advice is used. Sorry… D:

Read up~!

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"MAMA…" complained Kaia. She was on the phone with her mother again. "But-but-but, I swear, I'm _not_ lying! It's best if I can come live with you! I don't care about leaving my friends; I can contact people over the internet. This place is so weird, Ma… I can't stand a minute more of living in Namimori…"

"Now, now, dear, Ria, listen to me. Even though there might be weird people about, it doesn't mean the whole city is weird. If there's a few weird people in a city, there's bound to be thousands of regular people for every few weird ones. Trust me, it's not that bad."

"But you haven't _been_ here. I was out at the market, and the cake shop suddenly just, like, just EXPLODED! Really! And plus, I heard weird noises, and today, I-I-I…"

"What is it, dear? What is it? Come on, tell Mama what happened."

"I met up with a ton of weird people today…"

A pause.

"Um, uh, Ria, what… what weird people?"

"There was, uh, there was a big, tall guy with white hair that was really, really long, and-"

"Ria?! A guy with long, white hair?!"

"And with a sword for an arm, too…"

A pause, the person on the other line had a sharp intake of breath.

"Dear, how did you meet this person, though?!" A harsh tone.

"How should I know?! I was sitting at an outdoor table when he just jumped off a tall building on the table I was just sitting on and crushed it…"

"My dear God…" gasped Ria's mother.

"And there's more, Ma…" frowned Ria. "There were others, too… The underwear-boy came, too, with other people."

"W-What other people?"

"One with a cigarette and explosives, and another with a long, sharp, pointy, scary-looking sword…"

Another pause.

"Wait, one second…" Ria could hear her mother set the phone down, and various voices.

"_Signor, is it possible at all for my daughter to move location? She is in danger of the clashing parties. I fear a battle will awaken soon."_

"_I will try my best, however it is not likely. She will not leave her friends, will she?"_

"_She does not care; as long as it's to help her get away, she will."_

"_We cannot, however. She is safest here, where there is protection."_

"_But, the battle-"_

"_It's a risk, but it's the best risk we can take. We cannot do anything else about it; I advise you, if she doesn't want to be exposed to those unusual things, let her select the school to attend."_

"_In the city?"_

"_Yes, in the city."_

"Uh, dear, I don't have enough money for the move, as you know. But I think I can get the school officials to let you choose the school you will attend on Monday."

"Can I go to my old school?"

"No, I'm afraid it's not possible; only to the ones you can walk to. I can't afford for you to be driven places, so only schools you can walk to. And no private schools – I cannot afford the cost. So, um, Ria, only a public school that you can walk to on a daily basis."

"Aww…" groaned Ria. "Then it won't be much of a choice anymore…"

"Why?"

" 'Cause then Namimori Middle would be the only choice… and it's a weird place…"

"Well, I bet you can learn something there, you think?"

"…fine…" groaned Ria. It seems that luck just doesn't work out for her…

"Don't worry; it isn't that bad once you get used to it." Ria could feel her mother smile that innocent smile of hers.

"Okay, Mom, bye," sighed Ria.

"Bye~"

_Click._

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Here it is, scene 5 is finished. YAY.

Review and tell me how did; whatever you say, it's going to help me write more~

Thanks, everyone!

Again, I'll try to wait for 2 reviews before I post again.

_After scene 6. _:D

Have an awesome day/weekend/break/week~!


	6. Pink Bazooka

Sorry, guys, this scene is short…

But it's a cliffie! xD

Have fun~!

Reviews happily accepted~!

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It was Monday, the first day of Ria's year at Namimori Middle School. She had obtained the school uniform the day before, and had a rather awkward meeting with the principal. He had promised that Ria would have a great, safe, completely harmless year here at Namimori, but Ria couldn't find the heart to believe that. And so, Ria got up early in the morning to eat her breakfast, pull on her uniform (short skirts again, grr!), and make sure she's ready for the day. And so she grabs a map of the city in her hand and bravely sets off, first descending the flights of stairs to ground level. Once accomplishing that, she was just about to open the glass doors when:

"#$%ING MOVE OUT OF THE WAY!"

Ria immediately flinched, and was bumped to the side as the rude person ran past. As he turned the corner, Kaia could see his platinum hair flying in the air; she recognized him, and his coat, and paled.

_I live in the same apartment complex as a bomber! OMG OMG what do I do?!_

But, with map still in hand, she walked purposely forward, and came to a halt on the road, standing in front of the apartment complex. She took a look at the map, then up at the complex. Then at the map, and again to the complex. And then Kaia knew she didn't know where she was.

_What?! There's, what, two streets with the same name! And one's on this side, and this one's over there… Where's the school?! _Ria, whose impatience was growing at an alarming rate, simply stuffed her map in her backpack and set off in the same direction that bomber-guy went. The uniforms were similar, it isn't unlikely they were going to different schools, right?

But soon enough, she was lost again. So she went one way and then the other, turning and winding her way around the neighborhood that looks the same at every single block.

At one turn, a pink bazooka randomly popped out of nowhere, seemingly just dropping clear out of the sky. Ria picked it up, looking curiously at it, and she looked through the hole in the middle. _It's hollow,_ noted Kaia.

"Er, PERSON! D-DON'T TOUCH THAT!!"

Kaia was stunned, and the bazooka fell to the ground. And at the sound of a trigger…

…was a sudden burst of pink smoke…

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There you go, the cliffie! :D

I'm going to wait for two reviews before I update again, so, start your reviewing! And I still need votes for pairings…

Please? xD

Anyway, have an awesome break/week!

:]


	7. Confuzzlement

And now, here's the seventh chapter, readers! :D

Thanks to Shin's three reviews, here it is…

And Shin, um, it seems we think alike. :D

Well, here are the votes:

Kaia/Mukuro: 1

Kaia/Gokudera: 1

Haruka/Hibari: 1

Yamamoto/Chrome: 1

Actually, I was planning for a few surprise twists, to give you readers the benefit of the doubt… :D

I'm so nice, am I? Yeah…

I don't own KHR.

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Kaia opened her eyes. _Where am I?! _She looked around. It seemed she was writing something at a desk; everything looked antique and European for some weird reason. Kaia wished it was some kind of dream, and she stood up, looking around the room. And she immediately opened and went through the first door that landed on her eyes.

_Good, it's a hallway._ Kaia looked around, and hoped to find some people. So she went to a random door and opened it. The door opened up to a large room; a white room with gigantic tiles, and there was a person in there, moving around impossibly fast, and seemingly playing around with something bright red. The person stopped moving about so quickly and looked at Kaia. He started to walk to Kaia.

"Kaia-chan, you're finished so quickly~?" grinned the blonde, fingering a rather dangerous decorated knife.

"W-Who are you?" stuttered Kaia.

"Ora, you're cute in a schoolgirl uniform…" smirked the blonde, but he frowned again. "Doesn't the peasant know her prince?"

"P-Prince?!" Kaia shook her head to focus. "Can I go outside? And where's that?"

"You'll find it; down there," he pointed down the hallway with a frown, "and then a left at the big doors, Kaia-chan…"

"Er, thanks…person…" And Kaia ran as fast as she could, away from the scary blonde person playing with a knife, and closer to the outside world, where she might be more familiar with. And so she ran down the hallway, and made a left at the big, wooden doors. She crashed into them, making a rather loud, unnatural sound against the old wood. She mouthed a soft, "Sorry." And after that, she flung one of the doors open and started down the stairs. But she stopped and froze when her foot touched the first step.

"Kaia…" said the person, who had been starting at the bottom of the stairs. He picked up his pace and walked up to Kaia.

"Hey, what're you doing here?" he asked. His mis-matched eyes pried at Ria for her answer.

"W-Who are you?!" The man was taken aback by this question.

"Rokudo Mukuro, of course! Kaia, I'm sure we have at least met once before," frowned the blue-haired man.

"Rokudo Mukuro…" muttered Kaia, "Chrome's brother?! You look…different…" She was largely afraid of this man, who, for some miracle reason, became taller and more formidable. His hairstyle slightly changed, and the clothes he wore – those rings on his fingers weren't just for decoration, Kaia was sure. And so Kaia, wide-eyed and afraid, scampered inside again and down the hallway she had just come from. Mukuro followed her inside.

And from all the racket, and from the quick footfalls of Kaia's panicked running, that creepy blonde came from his training room, grinning like a maniac. But his smile immediately disappeared when Mukuro came into view.

"Kaia?" frowned Mukuro.

"Hey, hey, nappo, what are you doing here?!" the prince approached Mukuro.

The blonde shoved his knife in front of Mukuro's face.

"You will pay the price, Mist Guardian."

Mukuro reached into his cloak.

"You will be silenced."

Both glared at each other for some time.

And then, a poof of pink smoke…

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So, there you go, scene 7. :D

I still want two reviews, and more votes~!

Thanks to everyone who's reading, thank you!! :D

Oh, yes, and Lassitude, I'll tell you where your advice will be used, so stay tuned!

Have an awesome break/week~!

xD

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~~Omake~~

"Hm?" Kaia raised an eyebrow as she appeared directly in front of both Mukuro and Belphagor. "What happened…?" She blinked a few times. "Were you guys fighting…?"

"Ehh…?! Mukuro-san, it's been four years~!" Kaia smiled. But she frowned again. "Surely you won't be coming to this kind of place without some business to take care of?"

"Of course, Kaia. I mean, what would make me, a Vongola, come here of all places?" Mukuro glared at Belphagor. Apparently he shared the inner Vongola Family's attitude towards the Varia…

"No fighting, okay?" Kaia said. "You two will not fight; anyways, I hope it wasn't me." She sighed.

"Kaia-chan~" grinned the prince. "You didn't finish your work~"

"Oh, yeah, I'll get to that…" nodded Kaia, before turning around and running back to her office. Of course, she said with a laugh to the two Vongola behind her:

"Tough love, guys~!"

Both Prince the Ripper and the Mastermind knew to whom she had been referring to…


	8. Back to Reality

LOL, thanks to everyone who voted~! xD [Thanks to Shin, Tsunadesama89, and blacklightningwolf for reviewing chapter 7]

I feel happy to keep on writing… And to keep it up until my writer's block completely goes away, so… THANKS. :D

Oh, and Shin, what I meant by "it seems we think alike" is this: Before you had reviewed, nobody seemed to be voting, and I decided to sketch out what might be the possible pairings. And…well… you already guessed out…I think…so far, more than half of the possible pairings [with reasonable scenarios I can already conjure up if I will it to… :D]. Lucky guess, Shin. Unless, of course, you were thinking as I thought. Which is rather difficult, as my train of thought is really complicated, and a rare few can understand it. [Actually, virtually nobody could.] This whole paragraph of my explanation already took me half an hour to simplify, and I hope you guys can understand. :D

Here's the votes so far:

Kaia/Mukuro: 2

Kaia/Gokudera: 1

Haruka/Hibari: 1

Yamamoto/Chrome: 1

I don't own KHR.

Happy reading~! :D

Oh – and **review please**~!

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"Er, person…?!"

Kaia blinked in the bright sunlight. She was on the ground, face-up. There were people standing over her. Some she recognized at the market, and one she didn't. There was that bomber kid, and there was that scary swordsman person, smiling like an idiot. And there was underpants man, too. But there wasn't that poor little kid and that big sword-guy with the weird long hair. Oh, and also – there was a girl (yes!) and a baby in her vision.

She rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't dreaming. Last time she opened them, she was in some weird place with two weirdos about to (probably?) kill each other right then and there. And they even thought they knew her! And of course, there was no rule that she can only dream once every time she isn't awake.

"Hello…?!" said the underwear-boy again. "Person? Are you okay…?" Now, Kaia's eyes were at her widest. She was sure she wasn't dreaming now. And she didn't move a muscle. Her eyes darted here and there, glancing once at each face.

"Hey, what's your name?" smiled the swordsman, that idiot grin comfortable on his face. Kaia was scared, and so she didn't say a word.

"Huu, let's not crowd around her; she won't get enough oxygen," said the girl. "Um, aren't you going to Namimori Middle? We haven't seen you before…" Kaia turned her head to looked at the orange-haired girl's kind face and blinked. She knew her face was as pale as a sheet; that dream she had was a little too weird, no, too outlandish, too real to be true. And too unusual to be true. So she remained silent and fearful again.

Here, the baby came. With a commanding tone, he said:

"Get up." Kaia did so, automatically, and rather eagerly, as she wanted, sort of, to run as far as she could away from them. She knew they were one of the weird people of Nami-chuu, the school she was going to be going to from now on.

"I'm Reborn, Tsuna's home tutor," the baby said fluently. Kaia was silent again, staring at the baby as if that didn't happen, but it did. "That's Tsuna, or Sawada Tsunayoshi, that's Gokudera Hayato, and that's Yamamoto Takeshi. She's Sasagawa Kyoko." And, as if it helped, the baby continued.

"I'm a friend of Soto."

Here, Kaia perked up.

"Soto? Really?" It seemed Kaia recovered from her momentary shock. Kaia looked at the little kid; he sort of looked official…like Soto…

"Mhmm," nodded Reborn. "Again, that's Sawada Tsunayoshi, or Tsuna, that's Yamamoto Takeshi, that's Gokudera Hayato, and that's Sasagawa Kyoko." Kaia glanced at each face, learning each face and connecting each name to the face, and then to the nickname. _Tsuna (Sawada Tsunayoshi) – Underwear-boy. Gokudera Hayato – person who lives in the same apartment complex – Bomber-Man. Yamamoto Takeshi – Mr. Swordsman with the sharp and scary Sword. Sasagawa Kyoko – kind expression, probably a possible friend?_

"Aren't you that person from yesterday?" Tsuna frowned. "Like, t-that person on the table that got crushed…" Kaia was already fighting against herself, trying to decide whether keep on their good humor, or just run away from Underwear-boy and his two accomplices.

Kaia slowly nodded, looked around, and ran off in a random direction. Luckily, she had chosen the correct route; the group of five came running after her, both trying to get to school on time and trying to catch Kaia, the person.

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Heh. Poor Kaia. She's actually normal, can you believe it? She's completely lost in the mafia world, even if she's hardly in it. Like this scene. xD

If you readers think she's lame, well imagine if _you_ were in her place. Well, if you came face-to-face to a talking baby, three guys who seemed to be out of their mind, and a girl that was oddly out of place in the group, wouldn't you be at least a little surprised? Kaia has never seen anything like it, and didn't even expect something like this to happen.

Poor Kaia…

Oh well, thanks for reviewing~

I still want two reviews before the next update, and probably more votes~!

You can vote multiple times, but you should tell me clearly if you're voting and what pairing you vote for. You can vote for whatever you want, too, but as long as it's reasonable. You can also vote for crushes, dates, engagements, even. And you can vote for the first kiss, first date… if you want to, that is.

Thanks again for Shin, Tsunadesama89, and blacklightningwolf for reviewing chapter 7, and thanks to Shin, Tsunadesama89, blacklightningwolf, RemStrike78, Justine, and Lassitude for reviewing~! Love you all~! xD

Also, thanks to the story alerters: Lassitude, RemStrike78, blacklightningwolf, HitmanMiharu, and lulusuzu08!

I'm deeply sorry for not mentioning any who reviewed or story alerted me, and sorry for those who didn't want to me mentioned… But, it's my way of saying thanks. xD

Overall, thanks to all the readers!! I love you all!

And have an awesome break/week!

-and remember-

Tune in for the next scene after I get **TWO **reviews~!


	9. Discipline

Thanks to everyone who reviewed~ xD

For now, I've decided to add a rule: I'm not going to update more than once a day. Sorry…Otherwise, the amount I'd have to write would be too much.

[I don't own KHR.]

As for now, here are the standings:

Kaia/Mukuro: 3 [and another re-vote from Shin…]

Kaia/Gokudera: 1

Haruka/Hibari: 1 [and another re-vote from Shin…again.]

Yamamoto/Chrome: 1 [and yet another re-vote from Shin…]

And Shoko's little twist for Hibari, well you're a psychic. O.o

Turns out, there's a little nice twist coming up… Hope you guys enjoy. Or mourn for Kaia. Actually, save the mourning for now. Trust me; I know what's going to happen next…

Poor Kaia. Again.

Oh yeah, sorry Shoko, about the all-caps in a few…phrases and everything. Sorry… I'll tell you where your comments are used; that also applies for Lassitude.

Happy reading! And don't forget to review~!

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"Class, this is Raiahu Kaiashi. She's a transfer from Kokyou, so please be nice to her, thank you~"

Sadly, luck turned on Kaia again. The only empty spot was in a class called 2-A. So she was introduced and put in a seat – a seat at the very back.

Ria had to endure the long hours of school time, until, finally and again, it was lunchtime.

_YES YES FINALLY YES! IT'S LUNCHTIME AND I'M FINALLY OUT OF THAT HELLISH PLACE!! YES YAAAAHHH MUAAHHAHHHAHAHAA!!_

Yeah, she did exactly what she did back at Kokyou. But this time, nobody thought her weird. Of course, there was, as always, someone weirder here.

Yes, this time, it was what Kaia knew what Haruka would do. But this time, it was a dynamite stick.

Right in front of the teacher's face.

"GOKUDERA HAYATO, PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE, NOW," commanded the teacher, who was so angry, his face was completely red. And so the bomber-man smirked and left. And now here is the situation – an angry teacher, Kaia dancing around outside because it's finally lunch-time.

Not. Good.

"RAIAHU, YOU TOO."

Ria froze. _The scary principal's office?! And it's my first day here! This is just not my day… (like every single day since the move)_

"AND NO, NOT TO THE PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE – TO THE DISCIPLANARY COMMITTEE."

The class immediately paled.

And so she made her way resolutely to wherever that was. And the sight that she was greeted with wasn't very encouraging. And so she deduced that probably this Disciplinary Committee isn't a very good place to be sent to…

Kaia approached the door. Right as she held her hand up to knock, she heard a male voice say, "Come in." So she turned the handle and opened the door. There was a desk before a large window, with a couch and table. But that wasn't important. What was important was who was sitting at that desk. Kaia trembled a little as she inched nervously forward and looked around wildly, then to the only other person in the room – a scary guy that radiates a want to kill and destroy, a person who could glare with such force that a normal person would cringe under it, or freeze with utter terror. His narrowed eyes analyzed the nervous Kaia.

"Ah, Raiahu Kaiashi," snarled the male, "A student from Kokyou?"

"H-H-Hai."

Silence.

"What did you do? I believe today is your first day here."

"M-Mhmm, yes, it is. I, uh, was s-sent here be-because the teacher saw me dancing outside the classroom," Ria flushed in embarrassment and bowed her head.

"Dancing?" Kaia could feel the person raise an eyebrow.

"Y-Yeah, but I-really, I can't dance. It was m-more of a, uh," Kaia chuckled nervously as the person stood up menacingly, "more of a quick succession of jumping up and down out of sheer joy, s-sir…" She bowed her head further, not wanting him to get mad at her, for he certainly looked dangerous.

_Slap._

Kaia was knocked off her feet, now on the ground a few feet away. What had happened was that she was slapped so hard she flew into the wall to her left, crashing into it (probably breaking her left shoulder or something), and sliding down to the ground in great pain. She looked up horrifically, but unable to get up. Her cheek was bleeding now. Kaia sputtered for a few seconds before falling quiet as the person loomed over and said:

"That is in direct violation of the self-control section of the Namimori code of conduct, Raiahu Kaiashi," two metal rods gleamed from inside the coat of this person as he grinned maliciously, "I would like you to be a little more obedient, you think so too?"

Kaia nodded vigorously and as best she could; she feared she broke something already, and wouldn't move an inch farther than as far as her head went when she nodded.

"Get up," hissed the person. Kaia found little strength left, however managed to at least get into a sitting position. Now, she leaned on the wall. That vicious person sighed with frustration and just left through the door, leaving Kaia still leaning on the wall, but not forgetting to mutter, "Why pretend to be like those herbivores…"

Of course, Ria is still panicking as hard as she could.

Some person with a weird hairstyle came out from some random door and approached her. Kaia cowered from him, fearing this person might be dangerous and evil as well. But, no, he wasn't, to Kaia's relief.

"Now, er, Raiahu-san, hold still. I'm afraid Hibari-san-"

"Who's that?" Kaia looked at him.

"That person you just talked to – President of the Disciplinary Committee, Hibari Kyouya."

"Ohh."

"Hold still – that's it – now let me see what needs to be fixed," and the person rolled up Kaia's sleeve, revealing a bruise. No, not just a bruise, a very, very, very scary bruise. The bruise was red and looked like it was going to swell up quite a bit. And Kaia flinched at the sight of it.

"Ah, so that's it?"

"What do you mean that's it?! It's pretty bad already!"

"I feared you could have broken a bone, Raiahu-san."

"A _**bone**_?!"

"Shhh. Now, I've brought bandages – here." And here came the appearance of the white wrap-around bandages. And so the poor Kaia, who used to be a perfectly normal kid that did _not_ live in Namimori, was bandaged for a bad bruise she received from the President of the Disciplinary Committee of the weird city called Namimori.

"And a bandage for your cut…" And the person stuck something on her cheek. Kaia moved her mouth a little bit and found it sore; she assumed this to be from the impact – and that impact was pretty powerful.

"Do you think that you can use your left arm?"

"I-I think so…I don't know…" answered Kaia.

"At least you can still write and do the homework. I think that that teacher doesn't accept late work, no matter what, right?"

"Yeah," nodded Kaia. "Thanks, but I got to start eating; I'm hungry." She struggled to her feet and walked off the soreness in her legs, then made her way out the door and down the hall. And once in the hall, she broke into a half-run to save her lunch from prying hands.

And she was at least a little happy to see that her lunch was safe.

Snatching her lunch from her backpack, she dashed outside to find somewhere to sit to eat.

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Ah. The first bruise. Or only. I don't know…

Still, I want two reviews before the next update… And thanks to everyone I mentioned in the last chapter footnote, as well as two more reviewers: Shoko-Chan and Ninja!

xD

Go ahead and click that little link that says **Review this Story/Chapter** here… I know you want to… :D

Come on…

Go on and click that button down there, and be forever happy that you did… Go on~!

xD

Oh well, anyways…

Have an awesome break/week, everyone~!


	10. Shadows are Stalkers

Sorry for the previous hasty notes… o.o

I was at a friend's house, and I didn't want to keep readers waiting for the next chapter… The contents are the same; just the headnotes/footnotes are different.

And longer. :D

For those who didn't see the other headnotes/footnotes, well here it is.

[Start Here]

Well. I've decided to add a stalker into the story. :D

Yeah, praise thee.

I don't own KHR.

And thanks to the reviewers, but I won't be talking much. I want to play Guitar Hero. :D

Happy Reading~!

[End Here]

Yeah. That was my previous one. And yes, it was Guitar Hero at my friend's house. xD

I _did_ add a stalker to the story… Poor Kaia. Again.

Here's the votes:

Kaia/Mukuro: 3 [and 3 re-votes from Shin]

Kaia/Mukuro with a Hibari twist: 1 [and a re-vote from Shoko-Chan]

Kaia/Gokudera: 1 1/2 [and a re-vote from Shin] [Tsunadesama89 half-votes, but all final votes will be rounded down.]

Haruka/Hibari: 1 [and another re-vote from Shin]

Yamamoto/Chrome: 2[and a re-vote from Shin]

Right now, it's Mukuro and Kaia in the lead with three votes, and a runner-up with Gokudera for 1 and a half votes. :D

Therefore, if the standings don't change, Kaia ends up with Mukuro… And for those who want that to definitely happen, _vote_! Re-voting tells me how much you want that pairing to happen, so… Yeah, depends solely on the reader. Or reviewer, for that matter.

Thanks to all reviewers, as well as Ninja and Banyou for reviewing, and for Shoko-Chan, Ninja, and Banyou for reviewing the previous chapter.

Happy reading, and don't forget to review~! :D

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Kaia found a good spot in the courtyard. Under the shade of a tree in the courtyard, to be specific. Nobody was around either, and that suited her just fine. Kaia opened her bento, and right at that moment, she could feel something behind her. Moving, hiding, concealing, sneaking. She whipped around to see if anyone was there – no one. And so Kaia sat back down comfortably, shrugging it off as just the wind. But she was still apprehensive, cautious.

Ria continued to open her bento and spread the various parts on the grass – the string keeping it together, the lid, the utensils, and the two boxes – lunch and dessert. She picked up the lunch container and her chopsticks, and started to eat. But in the middle of her meal, she felt that feeling again – a sense of being watched. This time, it was stronger and much more intended than accidental. Ria slowly lowered her hand holding her lunch. She placed her chopsticks and food down on the ground and slowly turned her head to look at whatever is hiding from her sight by the protection of the tree trunk.

Whatever was there before, wasn't there when she looked. Kaia's immediate train of thought came around as something like this:

_What was that…?! What was that?! OMG Is it a stalker or something?! I can't have a stalker __**now**__, of all times! This is Namimori! I can't have a stalker here, no, please…_

Of course, once again, her plead was not heard by the angels of Heaven; it's probably more likely to bet that the Devil heard it. Or maybe Bad Luck has a little crush on poor Kaia. We probably won't ever know, but you don't know – these days here in Namimori are going to get even weirder. Weirder than Kaia would predict, at this point.

Poor, poor Kaia.

And so Kaia, whose watchful eyes darted here and there for quite a long time, had finally finished her lunch and dessert before slowly standing up and walking away, away from the tree. Yeah, poor her, poor her. But little did she know about the things rustling in the bushes, or hiding in the trees, or looking down from the rooftop.

"So that's what he meant…" grinned a silhouette, gleaming eyes shining.

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Woah. The headnotes and the footnotes will be so much longer than the actual story… Oh well, anyway the story is going to keep on stretching. And I'm updating nearly every day because of your reviewing. :D

Thanks again to everyone who reviewed, as well as everyone who story alerted and favorite and read this little story~!

I'm going to be going to type up the next chapter now, or the next few chapters…

Have an awesome day/week/break~!

xD


	11. Luck and Unluck

Ah, scene number 11! And it's been only a week since I just posted the story. O.o

I'm pretty impressed by the number of readers and reviews – it's probably going to beat the number of reviews for my other story…

Still, I want reviews! :D

The votes are still the same, though… here they are~ :D

Kaia/Mukuro: 3 [and 3 re-votes from Shin]

Kaia/Mukuro with a Hibari twist: 1 [and a re-vote from Shoko-Chan]

Kaia/Gokudera: 1 1/2 [and a re-vote from Shin] [Tsunadesama89 half-votes, but all final votes will be rounded down.]

Haruka/Hibari: 1 [and another re-vote from Shin]

Yamamoto/Chrome: 2[and a re-vote from Shin]

Thanks to all reviewers, especially to tsunadeesama89, Lassitude, and Shin for reviewing chapter 10 last night!

And I'm enthusiastic from Lassitude's review, as she noted improvement. As well as for tsundadesama89's review as well. For tsunadesama89, that person was…Kusakabe, just so you readers know. Sorry, I didn't add that to the foot notes yesterday; I forgot to. Heheheh…

Shin, I write these things because their meanings will be revealed in the future. I like mixing a little mystery in my stories, as well as tragedy… xD

Thanks to you three, and here is chapter 11!

Happy reading, and please review~!

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The bell rang again, and Kaia eventually found her classroom again. That was one of those rare chances when she actually had something lucky happen to her, resulting in an extremely grateful Kaia…

And so she resumed class, with the teacher ranting about things and subjects related to the school curriculum…

Time passed rather quickly, and Kaia, at one point, started to drift away from the class's going-ons, and started to daydream – about how life would be much better if she hadn't moved to Namimori. Of course, she wouldn't dare voice this to that scary Hibari Kyouya; he seems to like the school a lot…

And then her thoughts drifted to the strange people she met at Namimori. And she settled to make some fun of them; I mean, making them a source of her laughter and joy isn't that much of a sin, right? Underwear-boy, Tsuna, oh poor him; Kaia imagined him being so hyper in the middle of an increasingly important meeting, and all dressed up in a pink suit and everything. Bomber-man got landed in a video game; he ended bombing up himself quite a number of times. The scary swords-man person that can smile like an idiot, well, Kaia was too scared of him to make much fun, so she left him alone. The scary white-haired man with a sword for a hand, she fancied that the sword would be a cane an old man would wave in people's faces, then she would add a Rudolph's nose to the grown man.

Amazingly, she made it past class undetected; of course, Gokudera was the main attraction here. He fell asleep five times, yawned rather loudly a number of times more, then fell asleep again, started to talk super loudly in front of the teacher while he was talking, etc.

Anyways, the bell rang, and everyone packed their backpacks and walked out the classroom door. Kaia saw that Underwear-boy, Bomber-man, and Katana-person left the classroom entirely, as well as that Sasagawa Kyoko; she was cautious of Kyoko because she sometimes hung around those unusual three boys…

Kaia packed up her things, slung her pack over her shoulder, and exited the room. But by now, the majority of the students have left – they were experienced students who knew all too well the power of Hibari Kyouya – and the remaining students were going to be leaving very, very soon.

Poor Kaiashi, who had taken the wrong way out, and eventually became lost. She found one staircase down one level, but that wasn't enough. There were three floors – her class was on the very top. She wandered aimlessly about, trying desperately to escape the maze. She considered jumping out the window, but the windows can't be opened, and if she broke the glass, she would be charged with breaking public property, as well as a beating from the almighty President of the Disciplinary Committee.

"My, my, my, aren't we getting into trouble a little too much lately?"

Ria froze.

"There is no loitering after school hours, Raiahu-san."

"I-I'm just lost, Hibari-sempai…It is my first day here…"

"That is no excuse for wandering the halls, suspiciously, Raiahu Kaiashi."

"I'm sorry," apologized Kaia. "I'll try to learn the school as best I can, Hibari-sempai…"

She heard approaching footsteps. A hand on her shoulder, gruffly forcing her to turn around in fear. The narrowed eyes bore into her soul.

"Why pretend to be an herbivore," snarled the President, "if you are a carnivore?" The metal made its appearance here; it was aimed for Kaia's face. And it struck her face hard – Kaia winced from pain, as it had left a trail of blood trailing down her cheek. This time, the strike was near her eye; the skin ripped, revealing the flesh inside. Blood flowed freely from the injury. Kaia sharply inhaled with gritted teeth as her hand went to feel what the damage was. She doubled over and slid to the ground.

"Ow…" was Kaia's only comment. She was now lying on the tiles of the dirty-ing floor on the second level of Namimori. Her eyesight became blurry as it became lop-sided, and all disappeared.

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That's it for today, everyone~! :D

And yes, it's another cliffie. I love these cliffies… Muahahhahaa.

I would love to have two reviews again before the next update, so, start reviewing! And I still want more votes! :D

Thank you, thank you, everyone, and have an awesome break/week!!

xD


	12. Waking

Muahahahahaha…It's scene 12 now… :D

And it's been like…a week or something since my first post… AMAZING! ^^

Anyway, thanks to Chuchu, Shin, and tsunadesama89 for reviewing~! And to everyone who alerted/faved this story. And of course, the readers!!

Heh…

And so, it's the aftermath of my little cliffie in the last scene, hope you readers are happy… :D

And the votes:

Kaia/Mukuro: 4 [and 4 re-votes from Shin]

Kaia/Mukuro with a Hibari twist: 1 [and a re-vote from Shoko-Chan]

Kaia/Gokudera: 2 1/2 [and a re-vote from Shin] [Tsunadesama89 half-votes, but all final votes will be rounded down. Heheh.]

------------------ In a way, though, it's actually two votes. xD

Haruka/Hibari: 1 [and another re-vote from Shin]

Yamamoto/Chrome: 2[and a re-vote from Shin]

I don't own KHR… xP

Happy Reading!! And reviewing!!

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The next time she woke up, she was in a hospital. Of course, nobody was there to wait for her to wake up – or so she thought.

"Rise and shine, Raiahu Kaiashi," beamed a shadowed face. "It's time you've woken up."

Raia was greatly surprised. Even though her sight was blurry, she could still recognize and distinguish between voices. It was – can you believe it? – Rokudo Mukuro. Of course, Chrome would _never_ leave Rokudo alone in a hospital room with another girl, right?

"I couldn't find Haruka-san, so we wanted you to be okay," smiled Chrome. "And plus – you said we could have you meet my brother officially for once. Last time was a little, uh, it just wasn't a good time to be introducing people, right?"

Kaia looked at Chrome, blinked once, twice, thrice. Then she turned to Rokudo Mukuro and looked at him for a second. And she shrugged and smiled an affirmative. But she frowned again and tilted her head sideways a little so Chrome would know she was asking something. She was unable to speak, no matter how many times she would try.

"Hm?" Chrome leaned in. "What's it?"

"She wants to know what happened," said Mukuro. "Obviously, for getting a concussion from that little-" He was silenced by an indignant look from Chrome.

"The doctor said you had a moderate concussion two days ago; you were supposed to wake up yesterday, and we were both very worried," said Chrome, "You've been lying like a dead corpse for these past two days. Once we found out you were in the hospital, we came to see."

"Kufufufu…To get a concussion from that little tap from that Hibari," laughed Mukuro. "You are weak…"

Ria sighed dejectedly, as she winced from the bright lights in the ceiling, and looked away somewhere else.

"Kaia?" Chrome was ignored.

The doctor ushered in.

"You two, can you please leave now? Raiahu-san needs to rest."

"Hai," answered Mukuro, before taking Chrome with him, away from Kaia and out the door.

"Now, Kaiashi," the doctor said slowly, "You have a few more friends that are going to come in to see you, okay?" There was no response.

The door was opened, and Kaia internally groaned when she heard them come in. She closed her eyes to block out the bright lights from outside, which seemed to hurt her head quite a lot.

"Ah, Raiahu-san!" cried Underwear-boy.

"Raiahu-san!" beamed the swords-man.

"EXTEME!!" cried the extreme jogger. "WHY ARE WE HERE?!"

"Ciaossu, Ria."

To their dismay, there was no response. Kaia remained motionless, eyes closed, but was laying on her side. The group immediately fell silent. The doctor was baffled.

"K-Kaia?" frowned the doctor, "I swear, she was just fine a few minutes ago…"

Here, Kaia twitched; her bandage on her head shifted just a bit. Unluckily, Gokudera caught that.

"Tche. She's fine, but to lie dead two days from a tap from Hibari, that's really…"

"She's a _regular_ person, Gokudera, unlike you…" Reborn left the sentence hanging. He knew that Gokudera would have glared at him if he were anyone else aside from himself.

"Is she awake?" wondered Yamamoto. He ventured a finger, but the doctor stopped him.

"It's best for her to wake up on her own accord. She needs her rest, as well."

"Enough rest for her already," remarked Reborn. "Any more delays for Soto's classes, Kaia, you're probably going to be falling behind by quite a lot."

Kaia stirred, but became silent again.

"Anyways, here's the day's class work and homework," smiled Yamamoto as he dropped a pile of papers on the table.

"I'll make sure she sees that," reassured the doctor. "But you should leave now; Kaia needs her sleep."

Gokudera grumbled something about that before leaving, with Yamamoto, Tsuna, Ryohei, and Reborn soon following. The doctor followed right behind them, shutting the door behind him.

Kaia immediately heaved a relieved sigh, and she looked around. The room was completely empty, to her delight. She finally had her privacy.

Ria smiled to herself. But that was before she found out that she had another surprise visitor waiting for her.

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Ah, well that was an okay-ish scene… It's not like weird twists and turns happen all the time, right?

Well, stay tuned – it's getting better… :D

Review NOW!!

Have an awesome break/week~!

[Darn, spring break is going to be over… T_T]


	13. Checkup

Here is that surprise visitor… xD

Again, I feel sorry for Kaia… I mean, really, she is _really_ unlucky… Hmph. Only If I can go punish the one doing all this to her… :D

Muahahahahahaaa~

Keep on reviewing, please, and I'll update more! Thanks~! xD

The votes stand as follows:

Kaia/Mukuro: 4 [and 4 re-votes from Shin]

Kaia/Mukuro with a Hibari twist: 1 [and a re-vote from Shoko-Chan]

Kaia/Gokudera: 3 1/2 [and a re-vote from Shin] [Tsunadesama89 half-votes, but all final votes will be rounded down. Heheh.]

------------------ In a way, though, it's actually two votes. xD

Haruka/Hibari: 1 [and another re-vote from Shin]

Yamamoto/Chrome: 2 [and 2 re-votes from Shin]

Thanks to everyone who voted, reviewed, faved, and alerted me/the story/the plotline! I really appreciate it~!

And on to the story…scene, really.

Happy reading! And review, too!!

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"Kaia?" a person entered the room, unnoticed. Kaia blinked.

_Soto?_

"Kaia – it's wonderful you've woken up, but we need to be catching up," said Soto. He kneeled down to eye-level. Kaia's brown eyes met his black eyes. His dark hair was hidden beneath a hat, and his usual attire consisted of a dress shirt and a pair of trousers. He had left his coat in his car.

Kaia blinked. Soto sighed dejectedly.

"A forty-eight hour LOC, Kaia, and now your concussion is preventing speech?"

Kaia nodded slowly.

"Okay, then I'll have you learn the hard facts first – practicing will come later."

Kaia blinked in confusion and frowned.

"Another delay? Why, this charade has to end," frowned Soto. "You've had enough of a rest. Just because Hibari just knocks you lightly in the head-"

Kaia stared indignantly at Soto, shutting him up. Soto sighed and shook his head.

"How long have you been pretending?"

Kaia twitched. _I just want to be normal, okay?!_

"Ever since you've started learning, Ria, you were not meant to be normal," said Soto. Kaia's eyes were wide with shock.

_Never meant to be normal?! What's that supposed to mean?! I'm supposed to be normal, like everyone else that's normal! What's that supposed to mean, I'm not supposed to be normal?!_

"Your mother was very worried that you didn't pick up your cell phone," remarked Soto. "She's been calling me all day yesterday, today, and the day before yesterday." He yawned.

"Whatever – you get your delay. But mind you, you're in for a load of work when you're up and about again," Soto dumped a book in her lap. "Here – read up."

Kaia looked up.

"It gets boring in here, trust me." And without another word, Soto left.

Kaia looked down at the title of the book again.

_The Complete __**Black Innocence**__ Series:_

_The Trail of Crime, The Shadow of Night, Fact Behind Fiction_

_By Cocoa_

And Kaia flipped through the pages, thinking it would be an okay length of about six hundred pages in total, around two hundred pages each book. But when she opened the book, she discovered the pages were so thin and delicate they were translucent – the page count totaled up to more than fifteen hundred.

_And he expects me to finish this?!_

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That is a really thick book. Heh.

Thanks for Shin and Crazee4anime for reviewing!! It's thanks to them the story is updated – again!

Looking at the scoreboard again, hmm, Mukuro/Kaia and Gokudera/Kaia are really close! The side pairing, Yamamoto/Chrome, is probably going, too… And I'll try to get everyone's votes to count at least, so…It's going to be wild.

And I like wild things.

Review, please, I know you love me and my story… :D

…No, actually, I don't know for sure… But still, I want reviews and votes; criticism is accepted with smiles and rainbows! And Unicorns, too!!

So review!

Have an awesome break/week!

[Again, spring break is coming to an end…again. T_T]


	14. The Beginning

It's scene 14 already…Woah.

Thanks to everyone who voted and reviewed, and I'm looking forward to my future votes and reviews… xD

Anyway, the story's moving along quite well, think so? Yeah, it's coming along pretty nice, I'd say. To me, that is. Not sure what the readers think, but I think I've gotten a good idea based on the reviews… If that isn't a correct idea, then I'd love some criticism too… xD

It doesn't really matter what you say, as long as it helps, and that it's a review. Or a PM, whatever.

Here are the votes as of current:

Kaia/Mukuro: 5 [and 4 re-votes from Shin]

Kaia/Mukuro with a Hibari twist: 1 [and a re-vote from Shoko-Chan]

Kaia/Gokudera: 3 1/2 [and a re-vote from Shin] [Tsunadesama89 half-votes, but all final votes will be rounded down. Heheh.]

------------------ In a way, though, it's actually three votes. xD

Haruka/Hibari: 1 [and another re-vote from Shin]

Yamamoto/Chrome: 2 [and 2 re-votes from Shin]

But I'm unsure of Shin's vote(s) last chapter…

"Even thought I DID suggest Gokudera/Kaia... I prefer MUKURO/KAIA ! so I rerererevote for them!!"

I'm somewhat confused, so please clarify…? Thanks… :D

-I don't own KHR.-

And another note…it's so weird how all of my ideas end up becoming such a long story…It's weird. Like I said.

It's so weird…

Oh wait, I shouldn't be doing this to you – you readers must read! Okay, um, you go read, and go click that link on the bottom to review please~~

Happy Reading!!

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So Kaia just laid in her hospital bed, reading her book feverishly. Quite a number of hours had passed, and a nurse came in to bring Kaia her dinner of mashed potatoes and bread, as well as a glass and a pitcher of water.

These articles were set at Kaia's bedside table, and the nurse nervously left with a hasty bow.

Kaia looked up for half a second, before resuming her reading.

_And Elisa stole away into the night, her item of dreams tightly clutched in her hands. The security guards were left in her wake, unconscious or dead on the road, as Dr. Grant Gedfordson IV, 500 miles away, paced back and forth across his study, immersed in the secrets of the code._

_G. Ged 4 No. Hane Dotrive, D. .y. OhREIDO-taR -Alies_

Here, she stopped reading, bookmarked the page, and put the book down. She was so hungry now.

Kaia glanced at her dinner and reached for the bread.

_Bread crumbs, to pave a transparent road in the middle of human society… That was her tactic, her battle plan…_

_Weak…_

She took a bite of bread; crumbs fell on the sheets. Kaia was silent, enjoying the darkness that didn't hurt her eyes, enjoying the calmness and silence of night. She sighed sadly.

_Why can't I just be a normal person?! Doesn't everyone have a chance of being normal at all?_

Something stirred at the window; Kaia immediately looked in that direction.

Nothing.

She continued looking at the window with suspicion, but then saw the full moon out in the night, shyly peeking out through a small fluff of cloud. Kaia's eyes started to water, and she quickly looked away, back to the dark.

_It's 'cause it's too bright…too bright for my eyes…it's the concussion's fault…not mine…not…mine…_

Kaia took a bite from her bread, still clutched a little too tightly in her hands. She laid back down, sobbing, whimpering, crying, silently to herself.

Here, we leave her for the night.

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That's it for this scene, everyone! Review, and you'll see more… :D

Thanks to everyone who reviewed/alerted/read/faved me, my stories, and/or this one! HAH!

And yes, it's the last day of spring break… I'm so sad…

I'm wanting three reviews this time before I update, and I love everyone that's reading and reviewing and alerting and faving and doing whatever they are that's helping me!! Keep it up~! xD

And that includes everyone. EVERYONE. Doesn't matter who you are, just that…I LOVE YOU SOOO MUCH. :D

Not that lovey-dovey stuff, though. I don't even know you. I think.

Anyway, be a dear and review down here…

Thanks~!

Have an awesome day and a totally great life, everyone!!


	15. Leaving the Hospital

WOAH. Thanks, everyone who reviewed~! xD

It's so awesome… A whopping **four** reviews, this time! Or it's probably because I updated this rather late, but oh well, there you go, scene 15! HAH!

And Sushi…Thanks. :D

Actually, in my view, professionally published books are either simple or complicated. Mine…apparently combines the two. In my view, of course, not sure about you readers, but if you can follow what I'm talking about, probably you can understand as well.

So, this story, it's getting complicated as a story line, complicated in the way the events entwine around them. But simple in the way I tell it. I don't usually include those long paragraphs about scenery or anything, and if I do, I'd cut it down into several small paragraphs, because long paragraphs scare me, and I'm all the more likely skip it.

And, of course, I don't want people skimming that much; it's less than a thousand words per update. If you're skimming that much, it's probably like skipping the entire update, so, it's not good to skip that much.

Woah, that used to be a long paragraph… o.o

Or somewhat long. Now, it's three short ones. Oh well, as long as you get it, then I'm fine. If you don't, I'm fine either way since you probably don't follow exactly where I'm going.

Anyway…here are the votes!! :D

Kaia/Mukuro: 7 [and 4 re-votes from Shin] [one of the votes are from Shoko-Chan]

Kaia/Mukuro with a Hibari twist: 1 [and a re-vote from Shoko-Chan]

Kaia/Gokudera: 3 1/2 [and a re-vote from Shin] [another re-vote from Crazee4anime] [Tsunadesama89 half-votes, but all final votes will be rounded down. Heheh.]

------------------ In a way, though, it's actually three votes. xD

Haruka/Hibari: 1 [and another re-vote from Shin]

Yamamoto/Chrome: 2 [and 2 re-votes from Shin] [and a re-vote from Banyou]

But I'm unsure of Shin's vote(s) on chapter 13…Quote:

"Even thought I DID suggest Gokudera/Kaia... I prefer MUKURO/KAIA ! so I rerererevote for them!!"

I'm somewhat confused, so please clarify, Shin…? Thanks… :D

And Banyou, that helped a little bit, but I still want Shin to explain – guessing probably isn't the correct way to do this, sorry. T_T

I don't own KHR. D:

Happy Reading!! :D And don't forget to review~~

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"When will she be able to leave the hospital?" asked Reborn.

"Tomorrow, sometime," answered the doctor. "She's regained her consciousness, and won't be needing much medical attention anytime soon."

"Good," nodded Reborn.

"Oh, that's good…" breathed Tsuna.

"Will you check her before she leaves? In case there's anything you might have missed," Reborn raised an eyebrow. The doctor nodded.

"Okay, good. Let's go," Reborn leaped up onto Yamamoto's shoulder. They all turned away and left.

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"Can you speak, Kaia?" asked the doctor. Kaia nodded.

"Can you show me then?"

"It's…still…hoarse…" whispered Kaia.

"Well, there's improvement," said the doctor. "You can go home today, and no school for the rest of today. You must go to school tomorrow, though."

"Okay," Kaia nodded wearily. She was tired, and plus – she felt sort of sick. So it seemed reasonable that the doctor would let her stay home for the day. However, why would he force Kaia to go tomorrow? Of course, Kaia didn't know. I mean, if she did, then why ask? Play dumb?

Actually, there's a lot of people that think she knows something, but she really doesn't. And it all usually ends up in total chaos and confusion, and nothing is really taken care of.

And there was Soto.

_Really, why does he want me to finish that stupid series?! I mean, there's no use reading it, and it's just a waste of time…_

Anyway, Kaia gathered her things and was about to leave until Soto came in suddenly, explaining himself quickly before taking Kaia's things into his own arms.

"I'm going to drive you home – and have you catch up in your stuff."

" 'Kay…" mumbled Kaia with a tired smile for Soto, and she lumbered off after his eccentric form on the way out. Once they were outside in the bright sun, Kaia held up her hand to shield herself from the light as Soto led her into his car's backseat. After Soto jumped into his driver's seat, they roared off to Kaia's apartment.

"Hey, Kaia."

"Hmm?"

"You're going to need extra bandages for that little bruise and that scab on your head."

_What?! That "little bruise" on my arm had nearly become a broken arm! And that "scab" is a physical and __**visible**__ dent in my head! How is that a mere __**scab**__?!_

Kaia just replied with a groan. And Soto tossed two rolls of masking tape behind him, perfectly landing in Kaia's lap.

"Thanks…" Kaia mumbled. She took the two rolls in her loose hands so that she could bring it along with her when she gets home. Kaia looked out the window calmly as the scenery around her rushed by as blurred visions of what seemed to be a regular, sub-urban neighborhood. She smiled and laughed to herself suddenly.

"What is it?" Soto frowned with concern. He looked into the rear-view mirror. Kaia shrugged it off with a frown and a slight shake of the head. Soto shrugged and returned focus to his driving.

_Everything seems so much like a dream…_

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Actually, Crazee4anime, I don't really think I explain that [I refer to the ending of the last scene] yet… But I will explain if I remember to, and if it's the right place to. If I explain too early, it would be a spoiler. So, just stay tuned and keep on reading and reviewing~! Heh. xD

Shoko-Chan, just a note – Kaia isn't going to be fighting for quite a while, sorry, but if you sit tight and let the story progress, the story will probably get around to it. Just be patient, heh. It'll get in detail about what those injuries really do to Kaia sometime later, hahahahahahaaa…

Sorry, that was a spoiler, for those who don't want spoilers. Or it's probably a preview or something – oh well.

Anyway, keep on reading and reviewing! It's already being daily updated, thanks to your reviews and comments and such! :]

I'm **definitely** going to be writing more, so tune in~!

Have an awesome life, everyone!!


	16. Kaia's Apartment

Scene 15 already, HAH. :D

Thanks to Shoko-Chan and Shin for reviewing last chapter!

Oh and Shin, for that review I was unsure about, I just made it into one half-vote and one vote. Check out the new standings:

Kaia/Mukuro: 7 [and 5 re-votes from Shin] [one of the votes are from Shoko-Chan, and she re-votes]

Kaia/Mukuro with a Hibari twist: 1 [and 2 re-votes from Shoko-Chan]

Kaia/Gokudera: 3 1/2 [and 1 1/2 re-votes from Shin] [another re-vote from Crazee4anime] [Tsunadesama89 half-votes, but all final votes will be rounded down. Heheh.]

------------------ In a way, though, it's actually three votes. xD

Haruka/Hibari: 1 [and another re-vote from Shin]

Yamamoto/Chrome: 2 [and 2 re-votes from Shin] [and a re-vote from Banyou]

There. It's pretty awesome – there's…twenty-nine votes in total! That's awesome. :D

Thanks again to everyone who reviewed and faved and alerted and read and liked and wants to come back to read more… It makes me happy~!

Here's today's scene, so be happy and read up!

Happy Reading, and don't forget to review~!

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"EHH?! Kaia left?!" cried Tsuna. Gokudera frowned in contempt and averted his eyes elsewhere.

"Apparently so," answered Reborn. "Doctor says she went off with some other guy."

"What guy, though?" asked Yamamoto.

"Shut up baseball idiot," growled Gokudera. He glared, obviously in a horrible mood – again.

"Obviously, she's being cooped up with Soto…" Reborn mumbled to himself. "Whatever…" He shook his head and looked up. "You still want to see her?" Reborn yawned along with Leon.

"Well, it's best we should check if she's okay, I mean, it's pretty sad she got a concussion from Hibari-san…" shrugged Tsuna. Gokudera nodded, though obviously he disapproved of Tsuna's attention for the new kid. _I mean, she's just a new kid; everything's normal about her… She's so ***ing normal, it's actually…unnatural…_

"Well then, let's go," beamed Yamamoto. "Where do we go?"

"Her apartment, of course," answered Reborn. "Soto told me everything." He frowned for a moment, but his face regained its normal, expressionless mood and Reborn started for the entrance of the hospital. Tsuna turned around and caught up with the quick pacing of Reborn's little feet. Gokudera followed right behind his Boss, and Yamamoto after him.

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"Okay, we're here~!" Soto said rather cheerfully. Kaia merely nodded sullenly and got out of the car. Soto followed and gathered Kaia's things from the hospital [which didn't amount to much]. He led Kaia through the gate and up the staircase. The continued in silence, Soto obviously sensing something was wrong now, and Ria lost in her own little world. Her eyes were clouded and unfocused, as if she only knew the real world through touch and nothing more. Kaia's head was bowed to the ground, and she moved in rhythm – step, step, step. After a while, Soto stopped, and Kaia bumped into him.

"Hm?" Kaia looked up, lifting her head as if she were very tired. Her eyes winced as they met with the bright light of day.

"Kaia, are you sure nothing's wrong?"

"My…voice…is…still…hoarse…" she whispered. "That's…it…" She bowed her head again. "Go…" Soto turned his back to Kaia again and continued climbing. When they reached Kaia's apartment door, Soto's cell phone ringtone started to play, and he reached into his pocket to receive his call. He flipped open his cell phone and said:

"Iello!" He paused to listen to the other person at the other end speak.

"Oh – I got her out of the hospital, and I think it's best to talk later, okay? Kaia's tired… Yeah, okay. Bye." Soto flipped his cell phone back and slipped it into his pocket again. He looked to Kaia. "Come on; I know you're tired, but you can sleep on your bed for a long time after I get you there, okay?"

Kaia nodded.

"Okay," beamed Soto, and he stuck the keys into the lock and turned. The lock clicked open. Soto turned the handle and opened the door, putting Kaia's things on a nearby table. "Come on." He took Kaia's hand and dragged her into another room – Kaia's room. A bed was there, the blankets neat and folded on the mattress.

"Here, you sleep, okay, Kaia? All the things I said before, about you having to catch up, doesn't matter now – all that matters is that you get better, okay?" Soto smiled. Kaia nodded. He nodded as well, before leaving the room shutting the door behind him.

Kaia sighed and looked back at the door Soto shut.

_How did this happen…?_

Then, suddenly, the feeling of being watched hit her full force. She whirled around, to face the window once more, eyes widened despite them being put in full-force of the light, and her entire body quaking with fear of the unknown.

There was nothing, again. It was like a dream, a nightmare, an illusion, a mirage…

Kaia didn't know what to think anymore…

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Ah. Home, finally. xD

Again, though, I really feel bad for Kaia. But then, I still haven't added in the pairings yet… :D

And Lassitude and Shoko-Chan, for your criticism, I don't quite remember where I was when I got your reviews…But I think it's fine, you think too? Okay. Awesome.

Hm. I plan to update after three reviews now, so, start reviewing! :D

Updating everyday isn't that easy, considering my writing pace… T_T

But I like the story, so please please review; I want to keep on going. Heh. xD

Have an awesome life, everyone! And tune in next time for the next installment of Wasted Life!

Thanks! xD

Ciaooo~~


	17. Allegra

Thanks to Shoko-Chan for reviewing~! :D

It's been a few days, so I'll just go ahead and put up the next chapter, as I know there's non-reviewing fans out there as well. So, here are the votes re-cap, here:

Kaia/Mukuro: 7 [and 5 re-votes from Shin] [one of the votes are from Shoko-Chan, and she re-votes]

Kaia/Mukuro with a Hibari twist: 1 [and 2 re-votes from Shoko-Chan]

Kaia/Gokudera: 3 1/2 [and 1 1/2 re-votes from Shin] [another re-vote from Crazee4anime] [Tsunadesama89 half-votes, but all final votes will be rounded down. Heheh.]

------------------ In a way, though, it's actually three votes. xD

Haruka/Hibari: 1 [and another re-vote from Shin]

Yamamoto/Chrome: 2 [and 2 re-votes from Shin] [and a re-vote from Banyou]

Happy Reading~! And review as well, thanks!! :D

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The phone flipped open again, and Soto held it up to hear the receiving end talk.

"Iello."

"Soto-"

"I put Kaia to bed okay? She isn't going to be hearing about whatever we're going to be talking about."

"Okay, good."

A pause.

"Is there anything wrong?"

"With Kaia, yeah, I-I think so, but…reluctant to say."

"What? Is it severe? Life-threatening?"

"I don't know; I've never seen it before – she's been bashed in the head by Hibari. That's concerning enough. But now, once she's out of the hospital, she isn't speaking much anymore. She isn't hyper, or jumpy, or energetic, or even talkative. She's silent now, and though her voice is hoarse but useable, she doesn't speak much at all, unless it's necessary. And to think that-that she was perfectly fine a few days ago-"

"Soto, stop. You say she's been hit by Hibari, of all people? You've never mentioned this once; don't ever leave out important facts and details. Then it's relatively simpler to find what's wrong – Hibari caused a concussion, right?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, he must have struck Kai-Kaia's sensory part of the brain, and it's p-probably in shock, and I think it's best to hope for recovery in the next few days."

"Wait – she can hear fine, she can see fine, she can smell, taste, and touch fine, too! Her senses aren't the ones that are impacted."

"True…true… But one of the worst possibilities is if Hibari had struck Kaia's conscience-governing parts of the brain…"

"No, Hibari's not one of those who strikes with such clumsiness."

"But that area is relatively close to the protruding section of the skull; he might have been aiming there."

"Yeah, but as her mom, how are you going to handle this?"

"I can't watch Kaia be mauled by the growing conflict in the area; I have to take this to the Boss."

"You sure?"

"Y-Yeah, considering what's going to be happening in the next few weeks."

"True…"

"Oh, and for Kaia, can you…no, it's going to be too much of a hassle…"

"What?"

"Take Kaia back to the hospital to get her scanned. But, I don't think it's going to work, because-"

"Of my training? No, I can adjust. I'll get her back to the hospital when she wakes up, and you go to the Boss to get her re-located, as well as me. I'm obviously not going to be involved."

"Okay, thanks for everything…"

"Welcome, Allegra."

"Bye."

"Bye."

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That was it for this scene, sorry, readers. But tune in next time when I update, heh, and I want two reviews before the next update…

Unless I get bored and just update anyway, like I did last time.

But, there is one condition. As long as the average is at least two reviews per chapter and no more than one update a day, I'll be updating. That is, [again] if I don't get bored and just decide to plow on with the next installment.

Anyway, review and tune in for the next scene, next time!!

Thanks everyone~! xD

Have an awesome life!!


	18. Visiting Cloud Guardian

Hey everyone, it's me, who is back again~! :D

I got two reviews, so I'm going to be updating… Hope you readers and reviewers and everyone are happy that I'm going to keep this going…

And just so I don't forget, by now I've reached an excess of about 4.6k words after chapter 50…

That way, now if there's any suggestions, you'll see them there. :D

Yes, I've been writing a lot throughout spring break [while finishing the entire curriculum of Pre-Algebra for no particular reason now because I'm going to be tested for Algebra 1…].

Anyway, here's the standings:

Kaia/Mukuro: 8 [and 5 re-votes from Shin] [one of the votes are from Shoko-Chan, and she re-votes]

Kaia/Mukuro with a Hibari twist: 1 [and 2 re-votes from Shoko-Chan]

Kaia/Gokudera: 3 1/2 [and 1 1/2 re-votes from Shin] [another re-vote from Crazee4anime] [Tsunadesama89 half-votes, but all final votes will be rounded down. Heheh.]

------------------ In a way, though, it's actually three votes…

Haruka/Hibari: 2 [and another re-vote from Shin]

Yamamoto/Chrome: 2 [and 2 re-votes from Shin] [and a re-vote from Banyou]

Well, happy reading everyone, and please review!! Thanks~! xD

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The phone clicked off, and Soto put it back in his pocket. He looked around, and satisfied that there isn't any movement coming from Kaia's room, therefore assuming she got to sleep, Soto went to the kitchen to snatch something to eat. After finding a banana, he peeled it and bit into it. He sat down at the couch in the living room and looked around for something to do. He didn't feel like going to train right now, since that would be boring, and to abandon a possibly ill child at her apartment isn't exactly following the law. He's going to be absolutely murdered by Kaia's mother, too. He didn't feel old enough to die, just yet.

So he just shrugged and went over Kaia's stuff from the hospital, and he found the book he gave her to read. He flipped through it, and accidentally flipped her bookmark out. Soto cursed silently to himself and picked up the bookmark. The bookmark was a simple rectangle of black paper with a little white ribbon tied on the top through a hole-punched hole. It was obviously something special, and Soto shook himself from daydreaming. He had to find Kaia's page again…

After a short while of skimming the book, he thought he found the page Kaia stopped at.

_And Elisa stole away into the night, her item of dreams tightly clutched in her hands. The security guards were left in her wake, unconscious or dead on the road, as Dr. Grant Gedfordson IV, 500 miles away, paced back and forth across his study, immersed in the secrets of the code._

"So that's where she is…" Soto grinned as he said this to himself. And he began to read. But he hadn't gotten far when the doorbell rang. Soto jumped, quickly replaced Kaia's bookmark in its appropriate place, and went to get the door.

"Who's there?" Soto called in a low voice.

"It's just me, Soto," answered Reborn. "Tsuna and his family want to see Kaia…"

"Oh, Tsuna and his family…?" frowned Soto. He opened the door a crack and peered out. He saw Reborn, with a short boy with brown hair, another with black hair, and a third with platinum hair. "So you are Kaia's classmates?"

"Hai…" said the brown-haired one. Soto nodded and opened the door.

"She's sleeping right now, so I wouldn't be waking her up anytime soon." Soto motioned for the four to enter. "This is Kaia's apartment, mind."

"We know," remarked Reborn. They all entered and sat down around the living room.

"Do you live here?" asked Yamamoto.

"No, I'm just supposed to drop Kaia off here."

"And why are you still here?" Gokudera raised an eyebrow.

"Well, I can't just leave someone that just came back from the hospital alone in her apartment," frowned Soto. "That wouldn't be gentlemanly." He chuckled at his own comment. "Anyways, I bet Kaia's going to be pretty happy you guys came by to make sure she's alright. That's really kind of you, really." He smiled, but took a side-glance to Reborn. The Arcobaleno slightly nodded, then faced Tsuna and his two Guardians.

Seeing Reborn's wide grin, Tsuna immediately paled and sat up straighter in panic.

"You three, meet Soto, Vongola Nono's Cloud Guardian."

Silence prevailed the room.

"EH-"

"Shh," Soto stopped Tsuna's cry of surprise. "Mind, Kaia's still sleeping. Don't _ever_ wake her up." And because of the way Soto said that, Tsuna immediately shut up. He had a feeling that Kaia didn't like to be woken up by other people.

_I'm talking to the physical equivalent to Hibari,_ Tsuna internally squeaked. Reborn, however, caught that.

"Even though Soto's the Cloud Guardian for Vongola Nono, it doesn't mean he's the physical equivalent to Hibari. In fact, Soto here isn't even the strongest of the Guardians – he's the second strongest," the Arcobaleno said.

"Y-Yeah, but isn't the Ninth like…at an age where most other people are already grandfathers??" said Tsuna.

"Shut up," Reborn interjected, and whacked Tsuna in the head before continuing, "The Ninth was a candidate as Eighth, but he was too young then; by the time the actual Eighth died, the Ninth was around thirty. By now, however, his Guardians had all died, aside from his last and youngest one – the Storm Guardian. So now, all his Guardians are replacements – the second generation under the reign of the Ninth Boss of Vongola. Soto here was the first replacement."

Gokudera silently rejoiced that it was the one with his ring that survived the longest; but Reborn stopped him as well.

"Just because the youngest and so far only surviving Guardian of the Ninth is the Storm Guardian doesn't mean that you will die as last of the Guardians either. The First's Guardians had all died virtually at the same time," shrugged Reborn. "And plus – you might not even be Storm Guardian if you don't work hard enough or train enough; the Varia might be instead." Silence prevailed again. Soto sighed.

"…D-Does Kaia know t-that you're the Cloud Guardian of the Vongola?" Tsuna asked. Soto shook his head. Tsuna frowned, Gokudera wrinkled his brow, and Yamamoto shrugged.

"Anyways, there's no harm in her knowing it right?" Yamamoto said. "It's just a game." Soto shrugged.

"Think what you like."

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Ahh… I think it's a pretty okay chapter, though there isn't much action. T_T

Anyway, she **will** go to battle sometime at least, and it's going to be coming up…a long time later. Heh. :D

That's all I can say for now, or else it's spoilers, and I'm not sure if you readers would like spoilers. O.o

Still, I'll update again if the reviews are averaging at 2 reviews per chapter, and probably if it averages about one update per day.

Unless I get bored.

Again.

Well, have an awesome life, everyone~!


	19. Alone

Ah, scene 19 already!! xD

This is awesome – people are reviewing!! I'm sooo happy~!

Anyway, here are the votes so far- wait, I don't think they changed, didn't they? No, they didn't… But anyway, here they are!

Kaia/Mukuro: 8 [and 5 re-votes from Shin] [one of the votes are from Shoko-Chan, and she re-votes]

Kaia/Mukuro with a Hibari twist: 1 [and 2 re-votes from Shoko-Chan]

Kaia/Gokudera: 3 1/2 [and 1 1/2 re-votes from Shin] [another re-vote from Crazee4anime] [Tsunadesama89 half-votes, but all final votes will be rounded down. Heheh.]

------------------ In a way, though, it's actually three votes…

Haruka/Hibari: 2 [and another re-vote from Shin]

Yamamoto/Chrome: 2 [and 2 re-votes from Shin] [and a re-vote from Banyou]

GUH. Testing is coming up, and I'm not going to be writing for a bit, but I'll still be updating since I'm safe until I run out of my 50 scenes I finished already! Hahahahhahaha…

Ehh…Oh well, happy reading, everyone~!

Oh yeah, the disclaimer, sorry… I don't own KHR or anything except my plotline that I made up, not the one Akira Amano made up, and my OCs. And that applies to all previous scenes and all future scenes, unless I say otherwise. Which wouldn't happen.

Happy Reading, and review/vote, please, thanks~!

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"Okay, I think it's about time you left," said Soto, standing up. "You guys should get going now; you can't stay here forever."

"You're right," rejoined Reborn. "Time to train, all of you. Soto, you should, too." Reborn glanced at him.

"B-But who-" Tsuna finished in his head, _Is going to teach us? What about Soto? Will he teach Hibari-san?_

"Never mind that, Dame-Tsuna. You'll learn that everything works out in the end, okay?" Reborn twitched with annoyance. "Let's go. Now." He walked out the door.

"Ahh- Reborn!" Tsuna ran to catch up again, with both Gokudera and Yamamoto at his heels. Soto half-sighed and half-laughed.

_It's just like old times… Reborn's going to have to make the best of this opportunity, or I'm going to kill him…_

And then Soto's brain just turned itself over again.

_Kaia's probably going to be out cold for a really long time…_

Soto mentally slapped himself for not knowing that. Otherwise, he could have been staying here for ten hours straight, and that's not good use of time. So he stood up, walked out the door, locked it, and went off to reluctantly start training, but not forgetting to leave a note for Kaia that he slipped through the opening under the door, and another copy of the note somewhere else he thought that Kaia wouldn't miss.

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Kaia blinked. She felt so calm, but she was really afraid, so scared, so nervous and flustered. She didn't get to sleep like Soto told her to. So she, in consequence, heard absolutely everything that happened outside.

_Allegra's my mother's name? No, that isn't right! It might be another name, like a nickname? I mean, Mom does things really fast, and I've been told that Allegro means fast or something… And Soto's this… Vongola Nono's Cloud Guardian? Is he like the Guardian of Clouds for this thing called Vongola Nono? What a weird name, that Vongola Nono… And… Tsuna and his __**family**__?! And… And what's up with this Ninth and Storm Guardians… And the talk about death? Is underwear-boy, bomber-man, and sword-guy…involved?! And who's this Reborn??_

Actually, she's avoiding the main problem. Purposely avoiding the problem. The problem is, of course, why she's feeling so afraid of her surroundings. She didn't want to think about it. And yes, it was that frightening.

Kaia heard this Reborn and her classmates leave, and a few minutes later Soto followed, but not after slipping a sheet of paper under her door. Kaia mentally jumped, but she managed to not be caught by Soto. After she heard the retreating footfalls of Soto's feet travel a reasonable distance, Kaia slowly turned the knob of her door, and gently eased it open. She peeked outside, and shut the door again shyly.

_No one's there…_

Kaia breathed a few deep breaths to control herself.

_No one's there… No one's there… Nobody…is there… Nobody…_

And Kaia's trembling hand reached out for the knob again. But she faltered and dropped her hand. She decided to read the note Soto left her. Kneeling down, she picked up the folded piece of paper, unfolded, and started to read.

_Kaia:_

_I'm off to do a little training, so when you read this, wait for me to come back. If nobody's at home, then you should stay in the apartment. Don't make any loud noises or anything, or do anything that might alarm you or me. Got that? Okay. Bye~_

_Soto_

The paper fell from her hand.

_I'm alone… Nobody's here… Nobody but me…_

Kaia took a few more breaths to steady herself. Once again, her trembling hand reached for the doorknob. Closer and closer she inched, and finally, her hand grasped the knob. She slowly opened the door and looked out.

She barely saw a dark, moving figure, possibly even human-like, move out of sight, like a shadow. Kaia immediately slammed shut the door and she sharply breathed in. With wide, fearing eyes, she sank down next to the door, trying to discern the slightest sound or movement on the other side of the door. Her breaths were loud to her ears; she held them in, but that made way for her heartbeats to start thumping even louder.

"W-Who's there?" Kaia barely whispered. There was no answer, which made Kaia even more fearful. "Who's there?" she repeated, hardly louder than the first demand.

The poor girl listened for a moment longer, then made a mad crawl for her bed. Once there, Kaia climbed into bed and threw the covers over her head, hoping she wouldn't be noticed. She was visibly shivering, and Kaia herself could tell.

_Whoever, whatever that is, I'm not going to be caught… I'm not going to be discovered… I'm not going to be found… Not yet…_

She suddenly heard the front door unlock and open.

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Heh, here it is, scene 19. Hope you guys enjoyed it, and I'll be updating tomorrow as well, so please tune in~! xD

But I still want reviews as well, as after testing time; I'll be waiting for those two reviews again…

And for re-cap, I'll only be reviewing if the average is one update per day and two reviews per chapter. But that'll apply after testing time, and after Hibari's birthday~! :D

Aside from that, I'll be turning **13** soon, KYAHH!! So excited~!

BTW, just so you guys have an idea of how old I am, I made this account when I was only eleven, I think. Yeah, I think so, yeah… A few days before I turned twelve. :]

Oh yeahh, happy birthday to everyone who I didn't wish happy birthday… Sorry, I'm not properly informed whose birthday is when…

I know that Hibari's birthday is on the fifth, thanks to Shoko-Chan… :D

Thanks!!

And everyone, don't forget to review and vote!! xD

Have an awesome life, everyone, and tune in next time~!


	20. Not Alone

Hehehehehhehhehhehhhh… It's Scene 20!! :D

Thanks, Shoko-Chan, for reviewing, and I _do_ have an average of 2 reviews per scene, even if there's only one review last chapter. But if there's no two review average after this week, I don't know what- Actually, I'll just keep reviewing. I know there's non-reviewing fans out there. Heh.

Thanks to everyone who faved and alerted and reviewed and liked and read and criticized and etc. etc. etc. about the story. I know it was writer's block induced, but now I'm out of that, and this story is going to be awesome. And I mean **awesome**. xD

Here's the votes, though I don't think they changed, didn't they? No… Well, I'll just not post them since they haven't changed for the last few chapters…

Please, please review and vote!! Happy Reading!!

:D

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"Kaia?!"

She perked up at this, recognizing Soto's voice. But she remained in bed, under the covers; it might not be Soto that's at the door.

"Kaia? Kaia!" the voice became louder and louder and closer and closer, so much that Kaia couldn't stand it any longer. At last, the door to her room slammed open, and a searching voice called, "Kaiashi!"

"Kaia!" repeated the same concerned voice. "Kaia, come out! Kaia-" A hand pulled on the blankets and dragged them off of Kaia. Soto frowned.

"What were you doing in there?! You know that your mother would murder me without a second thought if something happened to you?!"

Kaia just looked fearfully up at Soto. The Cloud Guardian could tell she was trembling, and obviously madly frightened of something. He breathed an exasperated sigh. Kaia sat up at the edge of the bed.

"Kaia, are you _sure _you're okay?"

"I-I'm fine…" she whispered, averting her eyes. Soto caught that, sensing an air of dishonesty.

"Kaia, look at me," he said in a commanding tone. Kaia did, and Soto repeated slowly, "Are you okay?"

Kaia looked away, without an answer, the single word stuck in her throat. She was afraid of saying the truth, and Soto frowned, knowing his job was getting harder by the second.

"Do you want to see a doctor?"

Kaia shook her head. _Never again would I go back to that horrible place, Soto…_

"Oh-okay, then, um, Kaia, I'll call one of your Mom's friends, okay? She'll probably know what to do." Kaia looked up to Soto fearfully.

"She'll be here in a few hours, so I want you to, um not alarm either of us anymore, okay? Here," Soto took Kaia by her arm and led her out to the living room. "Sit down; I'll get you something warm to drink." He sat Kaia down on the couch and wrapped a blanket over her. He left shortly after.

Kaia looked at the door Soto left through then looked elsewhere. The outside interested her more than everything else in the room; unlike the inside, the outside moved, spoke, made noises. Kaia was extremely interested in the goings on outside.

She smiled.

"Ah, Kaia, here," Soto set down a cup of tea, "Drink up; it's good." Kaia turned her head to face Soto, and took the tea, warming her hands with it. Kaia's eyes were locked on her hands; she didn't want to see the concern of Soto's face. She knew the _other_ reason why Soto was taking care of her; not because her mother would kill Soto for not taking care of her, but because Soto was her mother's best friend. Soto wouldn't want to cause grief to her mother, of course.

Soto sat down next to Kaia, and looked as if he wanted to say something. Kaia didn't acknowledge him, so he decided to speak up, like when all of his teachers used to say to him at school.

_Speak up…_

"Um, Kaia," started Soto, but he was at a loss for words. "What…do you think…is…wrong?" He leaned in to try and see Kaia's face. Kaia glanced at Soto and barely whispered:

"Prolonging…suffering…"

Soto fell silent. Though Kaia probably has something up from her injury in her head, it showed that Kaia's logic section of her brain wasn't damaged. Yet. He was happy about that. But about her answer – if she was suffering, was it a sin to help her live on?

"I-I'm going to call your mother's friend now, okay? Your mother's still very busy, though, so she isn't going to be back in quite a while…" Soto detected a ghost of a sigh from Kaia, but he nevertheless stood up and left Kaia to her thoughts.

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There you go, scene 20!! :D

Thanks to everyone, again, and the fans that keep on coming back to read~!

Please review and vote – I want to make sure that people are okay with the pairings: Mukuro/Kaia [and a Hibari twist?], Gokudera/Kaia, Yamamoto/Chrome, Haruka/Hibari [but I probably wouldn't write that much about them, since they're not that much in the spotlight – and it leaves space for the imagination to explore possibilities. :D]. Any other pairings I forgot to mention, just vote, or tell me what I forgot. I just wrote down what I remember was on the votes list.

Wait, I could have just put the vote list up… Oh well, readers, just look back to scene 19 headnotes for the votes.

Thanks again everyone~!

Have an awesome life, everyone, and good luck to those testing~!

xD


	21. Jasmine

Thanks so much for Lassitude and Jen for reviewing~! :D

Sorries for not reviewing yesterday; I forgot, as I was studying last night…

Sorry!! D:

Oh well, at least I updated. Heh. xD

I'll be updating tomorrow, of course, and if I forget again, then I'd make up with two updates at the same time! But this time, I won't 'cause I want to catch Hibari's birthday with a chapter for him~! Muahahhahahhahahahaaah!!

Anyway, there still aren't any vote changes, so if you really want the votes to stay this way…then I'll be announcing deadlines sometime… I think.

The votes are in chapter 19 I think… Yeah…

And Lassitude, for that compliment you mentioned, thanks for mentioning that; it flattered me so much… And my birthday is coming up too!!

I hope I get something good… [excuse my selfishness there… Heh.]

Thanks Jen; the story is going to get longer anyway, so just keep on checking back!! xD

Here you go, it's the phone call dialogue again, so cheers~!

Happy Reading, and please review!!

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"Ahem, hello? Allegra?" Soto cleared his throat.

"Yes?" replied the voice at the other end.

"Y-You're still busy with the Boss'-"

"The Boss is _gone_, Soto!" her voice sounded desperate and fearful.

"W-What?!"

"_The Boss is gone!_"

"T-Then where did he go?"

"I don't know!" shrieked the other end. "I _don't_ know!"

"Okay, okay, um, Allegra, j-just calm down now-"

"How can I calm down?! The Boss is gone, the Varia is on rampage, and my daughter's mind is lost! How can I _possibly calm down_?!"

"Now-Now, Allegra. Take a few deep breaths; calm down… Okay, are you calm now?"

"I don't know…"

"Okay, at least you're calmer than you were before. Allegra, I know you are too busy to see your daughter-"

"Yes, yes, I am _too busy_ to even see my own daughter!" sobbed Allegra. "What a _great mother_ I am…"

"No, no, Allegra, control yourself. Even though I'm not in the same situation you are in, I know for a fact you are a good mother, okay? Now, I think it will be good if you send Jasmine down here to check up on Kaia; she's much more knowledgeable than the doctors here, and she's trustworthy, too. I'm asking if you consent for this."

A pause…

"O-Okay, sure. Make sure she's not dragged into the 'clash of the Vongola Decimo election,' okay?" she sounded unsure, but Soto went with it.

"Okay, I will."

"I don't think I can re-locate without the consent of the Boss; you know how he's…"

"Okay, okay, we'll sort out everything fine when everything's over, okay?" assured Soto.

"Okay…"

"Okay. Bye…"

"I'll see you; ciao~"

Call ended. Soto flipped open his cell phone again and dialed another number.

"H-Hello?"

"Oh, hey Soto…"

"Ah, hey, Jasmine…"

"Yeah, what is it?" Jasmine said irritably.

"I need a favor… Actually it's for Allegra's kid."

"Really, Allegra?" Jasmine perked up.

"Yeah; as you are aware of the upcoming events, I'd like to have you help keep Kaia out of it; I'm going to be busy trying to find the Boss."

"The Boss? Where is he?"

"Just…somewhere. Can you hop on the next flight to Japan? I need you here ASAP."

"ASAP? Really? Okay then, I'm coming."

"Is the private jet there?"

"I'm not even sure if I'm allowed there…"

"Well, if the jet is there, then tell them that I had to get you here ASAP. Okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, okay, okay. I need to get packing…"

"Okay, bye."

"Ciao."

Call ended.

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"Hey, Kaia," Soto sat back down next to Kaia. "You still don't want to go see the doctor here?" Kaia shook her head and drank some of her tea.

"Well, your mother's friend will be coming in a few hours, so you just sit tight, okay?"

Kaia looked at Soto, as if to plead.

_Don't go, please…_

"Well, I'm going to have to-"

"Don't…" whispered Kaia. Soto sighed.

"Okay then, Kaia. I'm going to stay."

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There you go, scene 21~! :D

I'm thinking of re-posting the story in full acts when I'm done with it, but I'm also thinking of keeping it this way. Or posting the last scene, then the epilogue, if there is one, then an archive with the entire story on it, like an archive of the story and everything… And I'd add the word count, so then you can subtract the word count and find the real length of the whole thing. Or I can just submit it as another story… Or I can just not do it at all…

Oh well, never mind about that; the end of the story is going to be a long way off. Hehhh…

Anyway, review, vote, alert, fave, whatever, just do something helpful to me, and I'll be so happy!!

[Darn, it's the English part of testing tomorrow…GUH. I'm totally going to fail… xD]


	22. Raiahu

GAHH, so sorry, everyone, I forgot to update yesterday… T_T

Oh well, I've updated today, and it's going to be a two-scene update, so I catch up. :D

Anyway, no votes, no reviews, no nothing… I miss you reviewers~! D:

Please, please review… =.=

Thanks, and happy reading~! And review!! xD

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The next day…

"Ah, she's here," Soto looked up from his paperwork as the doorbell rang. He stood up from his work and went to the door to open it.

"Soto," smiled Jasmine. "I'm going to come in." She stepped in, and Soto closed the door behind her. She took off her sunglasses and huffed. She was one of those who liked to dress nicely. Very, very nicely, actually. "Hey, Kaia~ Remember me?"

Kaia looked up sullenly. She blinked a few times, and smiled weakly. After that, she fell back into her own little world. Jasmine frowned.

Jasmine was a beautiful creature of eighteen with black, silky hair. Her expertise was in the field of health and medicine, as well as the areas in the workings behind mafia-related objects and fields. She was one of the commanding doctors in the Vongola household, and, of course, had been called to Japan to tend to Kaia. Jasmine wasn't as tall as Soto, who is higher than the average guy by a few inches; also, Jasmine is sometimes called Jazz or Jazzy.

"Hmm," frowned Jasmine. "Can I talk to you private someplace?" She turned to Soto.

"Ah, yeah, sure," said Soto. "Ah Kaia, I'm going to talk with Jasmine privately, so I'll be in the other room, okay?" He walked to the next room and closed the door, so that Kaia wouldn't hear anything.

"Can I get some background information on Kaia?" asked Jasmine.

"W-Well… Kaia's Allegra's kid, as you know. And Allegra's the descendant of a wide variety of cultures – the Chinese relative of the family was a tiger-hunter, an herb-master. And Allegra saw a significant similarity between the two. In Chinese, tiger meant hu. Raia came from the two words that mean coming. In a sense, Raiahu means the coming of the tiger. And like a tiger, like the line of descendants in Kaia's family, they have courage, strength, and a strong mental make-up."

"Oh, so we're talking about a child in the line of Raiahu? They are quite known in the medical world for their unique characteristics," Jasmine raised an eyebrow. "Well, there have been similar scenarios throughout the family. Their mental make-up is strong; strong only on the outside. Okay, then, imagine this: typically, computers have firewalls, right? These firewalls are usually positioned with the weakest filters first, strongest filters last. The strongest viruses would almost always get tired before reaching the last barrier, which is also the strongest. Those are effective and are the typical mental make-up of a human. But for the Raiahus, they are best known for their bravery, courage, strength, and the like. But, that is because their mental make-up is like this: the strongest barrier is first, the weakest last. That way, if something gets through the first barrier, then that bad thing would get to the brain…and…" Jasmine stopped. She looked to Soto and sighed dejectedly. "Something must have gotten to her. Now, her mental stability is probably overturned, and her reasoning is a mess; I have to get her scanned. Now, Soto. It doesn't matter if Kaia wants to do it or not – her brain could be shutting down."

"What?" gasped Soto in disbelief. "T-This is unbelievable! How could this have happened in the first place?!"

"I need to know what happened the past few days, Soto. Now," Jasmine stared coldly at Soto. "Kaia must not die."

"Then we should best get her scanned first," said Soto, making for the doorknob. Jasmine nodded as she followed Soto out the room.

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Well, this chapter was mainly one with a ton of information. Which ups the awesomeness of this part, heh. xD

Thanks for reading, everyone, and please review!! :D

I'm going to be updating later today for today's scene, so tune in and review~! Thanks, everyone!

Have an awesome life, everyone!!


	23. Storms and Knives

Hey, it's me again, the same day, and updating scene 23!! :D

Please, please review and vote, please, before the deadline!! [which I won't be telling yet. HAH.]

Happy Reading & Reviewing!!

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"Hey, Kaia," Soto paused to phrase what he was about to say very carefully; the slightest wrong move could agitate her into a dangerous state. "We have to get you to the hospital with Jasmine right now, okay? I'll get you ice cream or something on the way back; it's not going to take very long."

Kaia looked up with wide, fearful eyes. Her hair obscured most of her face, all but an eye, half of her nose, and half of her trembling lip. She started, but calmly put her tea on the table, shook off her blanket, and stood up. She slowly inched her way to the kitchen, her front always facing the two adults. Jasmine whispered to Soto as Kaia disappeared around the corner.

"Does she go into Dying Will?"

"What do you think?!" Soto fiercely whispered back. "Kaia was born to be the Tenth's Storm Guardian! How could she never have been in Dying Will?!"

"What is her main weapon?"

"We anticipated the Varia's participation; as Kaia would be pitted against Belphegor, she was trained with knives as well."

"_Knives_?!"

"Not only that, but with flame, as well as a number of other things she taught herself. She would have been the perfect Storm Guardian; probably better than Gokudera. But…it's too late. She hasn't been introduced to the mafia yet."

"Kaia!" Jasmine knew that Kaia was in the kitchen; she would have a kitchen knife in her hand by now. "Kaia, can you please come out?"

They could hear heavy, panicked breathing.

"I…don't…want…to…go…"

_Come and you'll regret it, whoever you are, whatever you want. I am not going._

"Kaia, please!" called Soto. "I-I don't want you becoming a monster!"

Metal clattered to the ground. An ominous silence floated about.

"Kaia?" Jasmine ventured a step, but Soto stopped her.

"Don't; her aim is flawless, even at angles." Soto pulled Jasmine back. Slowly and gently, Kaia emerged from the kitchen, back into the living room, empty handed. Jasmine rushed over to give Kaia a hug, so as to calm her down. Soto went straight for the kitchen; that kitchen knife was dangerous unattended on the floor. Someone could step on it and horribly injure the foot. When Soto emerged, Kaia was a lot calmer now, but her eyes were empty and lifeless.

"We better hurry," Jasmine breathed. Soto urgently nodded and whipped open the front door. Jasmine had Kaia ride piggy-back, and the two adults rushed to the Cavallone hospital.

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Poor Kaia, again. Sigh, why is she so unlucky? I am so evil. But this is a tragedy, to remind you readers. It's a **tragedy**, so…it's going to be sad.

I'm not sure about how the ending will be, either happy or sad. But I'm still planning, and I've only begun writing. :D

Thanks for reading, and have an awesome rest of your life~! xD


	24. Sidetalk

Hey, it's me again… No reviews, no votes, no nothing… I just sometimes wonder where you reviewers went… o.o

Oh well, and here's scene 24 for you guys~!

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"Dino! Romario! Cavallone!" called Soto. He slammed into the reception desk, whose overseer was surprised and ran to get both Romario and Dino. Jasmine was right behind him, and stopped, looking around.

"Ah, Soto!" came a familiar voice. Dino strolled into the room, flanked by Romario. He frowned. "What is it?"

"It's Kaia – Allegra's child," said Jasmine. "Her brain might be shutting down. We need her scanned."

"What-" the Cavallone boss raised an eyebrow.

"I've already identified the beginnings of PTSD and a possibility of BPD, but I'm sure that's not all – she's likely going into negative dying will. We have to scan her! Now!" pressed Jasmine. "It won't be my fault if she's dead, now go!" Dino nodded urgently and motioned for Romario. They both walked back into the hospital, with Soto and Jasmine nervously following behind.

"Here – it's what you asked for. It's a compound; it can sense the flame and dying will of the patient," Dino said. "Is she awake?" He motioned to Kaia.

"I don't know," answered Jasmine. "But I think it's better that she's asleep." She gave the limp Kaia to the assistants of the staff. "We have to talk." Soto nodded. Dino was silent.

"Okay. What is it?"

"The Boss is gone," sighed Soto. "Allegra's in a rampage back at Italy, and I need to know the whereabouts of the rings. It's time Kaia has her ring, I think." He sighed again in exasperation. "Don't tell me – they're already scattered?"

"Yeah," nodded Dino. "Tsuna's the Sky, his right-hand-man as of current, Gokudera Hayato, Storm-"

"I knew it," groaned Soto. "Allegra's going to murder me."

"Yamamoto Takeshi as the Rain, Sasagawa Ryohei as the Sun, Hibari Kyouya's the Cloud, the kid Lambo from the Bovinos is the Thunder, and the Mist…Rokudo Mukuro and Chrome Dokuro."

"Ah, so he went with what he had locally," murmured Jasmine, nodding. "They are all familiar to the young Boss, correct?"

"Yes," frowned Dino. "They're a wild lot." He sighed. "Especially that Kyouya…" He shook his head.

"Hibari Kyouya?" Soto looked to Dino.

"Yeah; so?"

"Hibari," started Soto, finding the right words to explain the situation, "is part of the…Disciplinary Committee, right?"

"I don't like where this is going, Soto," Jasmine crossed her arms.

"Hibari had been the one who both dealt a heavy bruise on Kaia's left arm and gave Kaia a moderate concussion…"

"_Concussion?!_" Jasmine cried out in surprise. "Details, please."

"She had been struck in the right temple; she had a forty-eight hour LOC [loss of consciousness] and wasn't able to speak when she awoke. From then on, everything went downhill."

Dino was silent; he hadn't known the very delinquent was even capable of dealing blows stronger than the force of a 90mph train. Jasmine as well, who alone could see how everything fit together. She turned to Dino.

"Dino," said Jasmine. "How exactly did the rings get to the ring-bearers?"

"Basil was the decoy," Dino started. "The case he held contained fakes; the Varia intercepted him, and now he's here in the hospital. It was I who held the real ones; I had given them to Iemitsu to distribute." Soto groaned.

"Only if Allegra was bold enough to _not_ keep Kaia's existence a secret…" Soto sighed. "There's no turning back now. As long as Kaia remains in the hands of the Vongola and no other, she's safe." Jasmine nodded in agreement.

"Are they training?" Jasmine raised an eyebrow. "To have a group of teenagers with nearly no prior experience take on the Varia…is like walking to certain death."

"Reborn is with Tsuna, rest assured. Ryohei is with Colonnello. Um, I have to train Kyouya, Yamamoto is learning the Shigure Shouen Ryuu, and Gokudera actually turned to Shamal."

"Trident Shamal?!" spat Jasmine. "He's such a pest… How could he have chosen, of all people, _Shamal_?!"

"Well, he was the one who introduced dynamite to Gokudera when he was young," shrugged Dino.

"What?!" Soto raised an eyebrow.

"Signor!" called a nurse, rushing in. "We've finished the scanning; best if you see as well, Doctor, Boss, Vongola." She bowed her head to Jasmine, Dino and Soto before hurrying back out. The three adults all followed the nurse to a room, where a solitary folder laid. Chairs were set up all around the table. Everything was white but an exception of the scans, which closely resembled x-ray pictures. There was a clear glass panel separating the room from the next one – the room with the scan, and Kaia.

Soto took one look through the glass panel and turned away; he refused to see Kaia in such a state. Jasmine eyed the poor girl, but made herself focus on the folder of scans. Dino didn't even take a glance into the other room; he was all too familiar with the place.

"Those," said the same nurse, "are both the brain scans and the flame detection scans, Doctor."

"Thank you," nodded Jasmine. "Leave, please."

"Of course." The nurse hastily left, shutting the pale door behind her.

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So, that was scene 24, everyone~! :D

Have an awesome life, and please review and vote…

Unless you're positive you want the pairings listed above…

Anyway-

Have an awesome rest of your life, everyone~!


	25. Negative Dying Will

Sorry everyone, I should have told you guys to ignore my six-year-old immature, complaining side. T_T

Anyway, here's scene 25, heh, and please enjoy~! :D

Thanks to Shoko-Chan, the votes have changed!! [re-votes, of course… ;D]

Kaia/Mukuro: 8 [and 5 re-votes from Shin] [one of the votes are from Shoko-Chan, and she re-votes **twice**]

Kaia/Mukuro with a Hibari twist: 1 [and **3** re-votes from Shoko-Chan]

Kaia/Gokudera: 3 1/2 [and 1 1/2 re-votes from Shin] [another re-vote from Crazee4anime] [Tsunadesama89 half-votes, but all final votes will be rounded down. Heheh.]

------------------ In a way, though, it's actually three votes…

Haruka/Hibari: 2 [and another re-vote from Shin]

Yamamoto/Chrome: 2 [and 2 re-votes from Shin] [and a re-vote from Banyou]

Happy Reading, and please just read or review or vote if you can~! :D

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Jasmine sat down on one of the chairs, opened the folder, and held up the first of the scans. It was an aerial view, clearly labeled with the sides of the brain. Jasmine frowned and sharply gasped when she noted the gray matter and the white matter relocation. Soto raised an eyebrow and looked at the same scan. He frowned when he realized he couldn't understand a thing, and put the transparent plastic back down on the table once more. Dino took a seat on the other side of the table.

Jasmine took a look at each of the other ones in the folder; those were of the unspecialized brain scan. One after the other, Jasmine's expression darkened and darkened until she also finished going over the flame detection ones as well.

"What is it?" Soto raised an eyebrow at Jasmine.

"Kaia's brain…five percent is already shut down; and more than half has already converted to negative dying will," she said. She held back a small meep of pity for Kaia as she looked past the glass panel, but her eyes began to water; Jasmine sighed. "If there was a way to wake that five percent up again, she could be saved…"

"I-Is this all Kyouya's fault?" Dino raised an eyebrow. Jasmine looked at the Cavallone boss. He seemed strangely curious, but Jasmine decided to tell. There was, in fact, no harm in telling. Jasmine smiled darkly and began to speak.

"In fact, no it isn't. That is the truth – Kaia's infliction is not the complete and absolute result of Hibari's most powerful strike of raw force and power. But yes, it was the trigger." Jasmine smiled to herself and looked sadly at Kaia's still form. Dino was sputtering in disbelief.

"Y-You mean he was the cause, but he isn't at the same time?!"

"No. The strike he inflicted upon her head was the trigger to the trap that had been already laid," Soto said. "Sadly, that trap was tied to her blood."

"Tied to her blood?" repeated Dino with heightened interest. Jasmine huffed.

"It's a long story, okay? You'll know in time."

Dino was unsatisfied.

"Is there anything that Kaia really doesn't like, Soto?" Jasmine suddenly asked. Soto hesitated, but went all out.

"Kaia doesn't like small or skimpy clothes for a start; she doesn't like rude people, things that stink, nausea, perverts, hot temperatures, and she gets pissed off a lot when people play pranks on her."

"Anything else…?" Jasmine frowned.

"Well, I'm not always around her, scrutinizing her every second of her life to find every fault in her."

"In other words, you're not a stalker?" laughed Dino. "Why can't we talk about things Kaia likes?"

"Ah; we can just do the opposite, and it's probably the same thing. Go on, Soto. Tell us," Jasmine raised an eyebrow at Soto. He sighed and went on.

"She likes bakeries in general, as well as the food they make. She likes the rain, cold temperatures, the wind in her hair, roller coasters, cute things, sweet foods, and loves to have fun."

"This isn't going to help," frowned Jasmine.

"Then what are you trying to do anyway?" asked Dino.

"There must be a way of 'waking up' Kaia's brain again. A way of awaking her conscious to convert her brain's functions back to normal – that's what we need."

"To 'wake her up'?" repeated Soto. "How would we ever will?"

"If the negative dying will advances to completely infect the brain, she's dead, dim-wit," sighed Jasmine. "I know there's a way of reversing the effects, I know it. I just don't know what it is…"

"Isn't there an encyclopedia or something with information on diseases?" yawned Soto.

"No; this isn't a disease – it's a combination of diseases and a very dangerous condition," corrected Jasmine, "which is _not_ a disease. Therefore, there is no immediate cure unless strenuous research is done."

"Then can't you-" Dino began.

"Time," said Jasmine. "Time, time, time! We just don't have the _time_ to research! Though both the PTSD and the BPD are not life-threatening, the spread of negative dying will is affected by those disorders, and therefore is very unpredictable; she could die next year, next month, next week, or even tomorrow!" She groaned with stress.

"Never…in my career have I ever failed to save _anyone_…"

"That's a short career; and plus, nobody's perfect," Soto shrugged. He narrowed his eyes. "How exactly can we save Kaia again?"

"We have to 'wake her up,' " repeated Jasmine. She looked through the window again. "I'll get Kaia; Soto, I think it's time she got home."

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Ohlalala, it's getting a little risky… :D

Well, the way I see it, Soto took Kaia to a certain amusement park… *cough cough* Heh, well I'll let you guys think about it, and come back tomorrow, I hope, to read what comes next!

Tune in tomorrow, and thanks for reading!

I want reviews and votes and everything… But…

Oh well, I'll still be writing either way, so tune in for my next installment!

Have an awesome life, everyone~!


	26. Back Home

GAHHHH; Sorry!! D:

I forgot to update again, sorry!!

Oh well, again, it's going to be a double-update again~! xD

So, read up; no votes since last post, so… heh. You guys really want this to be a Mukuro/Kaia story, hmm?

Oh well, that might change [might!] if you guys vote. The deadline will come sometime, I'm not sure when though.

Just, happy reading!! :D

Oh yeah, and from now on, if I used Ria and Kaia interchangeably, I was referring to Kaia. Now, there is a distinct difference between the two. Read below and see. :D

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"I'm sure I'm at fault too…" sighed Soto. "It's not right to suddenly change her intake of flame; it's probably because of that, too." He shook his head.

"Yeah, in a way." Jasmine relentlessly replied, "Is it like caffeine?"

"I've been training her hard until…" Soto sighed. "Yeah."

"How hard, exactly?"

"Worse than Reborn, even. And I thought she could even do a thing once she woke up…" Soto shook his head. "I must have been mistaking Kaia for Ria now."

"Wha- does she have bipolar…?"

"You'll know the difference. It's really easy to tell, actually."

"Only if we knew what got to Kaia," sighed Jasmine. "Did you say anything particular to her since the time she woke?"

"Nothing that I recall of." Soto shrugged.

They were walking on the street; actually, now they've arrived at Kaia's apartment complex. Jasmine hurried to open the gate as Soto lumbered along, this time being the one to carry Kaia back to her apartment. After Jasmine closed the gate after Soto, she caught up with him.

"Doesn't that Gokudera live in the same building?" she raised an eyebrow. "He's probably going to be suspicious, or at least curious of what's going on."

"No, he's wasting his time trying to figure out what Shamal is talking about," smiled Soto. "He's not here."

Speak of the Devil.

By now, both Soto and Jasmine had arrived at the apartment number, and Soto was fumbling around his pocket for his key. Gokudera had just come around the bend; his apartment had been on the same floor, just on the other side of the building. He was carrying a large cardboard box, and was probably making his way down the staircase to the ground.

He halted in his tracks.

"Speak…of…the…Devil," muttered Jasmine.

"Hey – aren't you…?" started Gokudera.

"Soto," answered the Cloud Guardian. "I'm called Soto."

"Why are you here…again?" Gokudera raised an eyebrow.

"Hmm; you seem interested in the welfare of this frail, little girl?" smirked Soto. "We're just back from a meeting with Dino."

"And who's…that?"

"I'm Jasmine," huffed the eighteen-year-old. She smiled. "Nice to meet you – Gokudera Hayato?"

"Y-Yeah, you creep me out," frowned Gokudera. He abruptly left.

He tripped.

Soto laughed aloud, and Jasmine snickered a little bit. Though he was too low down the stairs to be seen by the two, they knew by the surprised small yell Gokudera gave when he slipped; the box flew into the air, and a multitude of paper airplanes came flying out. Soto ventured closer to the edge of the stairwell to take a look at Gokudera's sorry state.

He sighed and decided to put Kaia to bed first. He once again walked to the door, took out his keys, unlocked the door, opened it, and entered. Jasmine quickly followed, ditching Gokudera to deal with his problem himself.

"Jasmine, start cooking some soup," instructed Soto, "and fast; Kaia loves the smell of food, especially soup." He set Kaia on the couch, and grabbed the blanket on the floor. He spread it wide, and wrapped it snugly around her. In doing so, he frowned, his brow furrowing in concern.

"Jazz?"

"Yeah, what's it?"

"Her temperature…it's dropping." Soto looked up, and their eyes made contact. Jasmine paled, hastily put the water aside to boil, and came in a whirlwind to the living room to check Kaia's temperature. After feeling Kaia's hand, Jasmine checked Kaia's forehead and neck.

"She is…" gasped Jasmine. "This is a bad sign, a bad sign…" She hurried back to the kitchen to fill up some hot water bottles; meanwhile, Soto checked Kaia's heart rate. He paled and sat down on the couch as well. Jasmine hurried back in a flurry of panic as she placed the packets of hot water all around Kaia's body.

"How is her heart rate?"

"Lower…weaker…just, just dead-er." Soto stood up with another sigh and heard a sound coming from the kitchen. "Water's up to a boil."

"Ah! Okay," Jasmine raced back to the kitchen. The Cloud Guardian remained silent, thinking of the past few days.

"Jasmine." Soto sounded dead serious, and Jasmine paused. She stepped away from what she was doing, sticking her head into view.

"What is it?" she raised an eyebrow.

"Have you . . . have you ever thought if Kaia . . . _doesn't_ want to go through all this?"

Jasmine stepped completely out of the kitchen, completely overwhelmed and taken aback by a question so big, so important and so exposed, alone, so full of hidden emotions. She sighed and chuckled to herself.

"What if it so happens that she's asleep? She wouldn't remember a thing." Jasmine blinked. Soto glared at her; Jasmine's expression softened.

"Kaia would just want us to do our best – she'll forgive us if we couldn't make it."

Soto bowed his head in sorrow.

"I've failed Allegra. She is broken, I am broken, Kaia's broken…"

"You haven't mentioned when you're going to fix 'em, haven't you?" Jasmine raised an eyebrow. "I don't wanna go around tending to you, too. Now don't you go emo on me ever again." Soto looked up curiously at Jasmine.

_Maybe what they say is right – there's always hope, love, joy, faith, and magic in the new generation._

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Well, yay, they got home. :D

Keep on reading, everyone! Remember, this is going to be a double-update, so go on a read!! xD


	27. Thoughts of the Young Cloud

This is the second part of the double-update, and this is for Hibari's birthday~! :D

Here's the first bit of the stuff everyone voted for! [Actually, for Shoko-Chan, and sorry, everyone, but other pairings will be coming soon. I think.]

Happy Reading, everyone!!

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Hibari yawned. He stretched as he lounged on the school rooftop. Hibird alighted next to him, chirping happily as usual. The President sat up and looked at the view around him. For some reason, there was always something nagging at him – a feeling that would refuse to leave. Hibari cursed himself for being weak, for being such a wimp like that. But he couldn't ignore that feeling. It was so different from the other emotions he was used to feeling. And this feeling was both a mixture of feelings he had felt before, and a mixture of feelings he had never experienced in his life.

Regret, anxiety, guilt, yearning, disgust. To sum it up, Hibari felt awful. He didn't like this new feeling. He wanted to get rid of it; it was worse than the hatred he felt after encountering that Mukuro. In fact, he would gladly be beaten by Mukuro again in exchange of never feeling this feeling ever again. Every time he tried to avoid the subject, his mind would remind him of it, again.

How the herbivore-pretender took the blow like an herbivore, falling to the ground, seemingly dead.

How impossible the very possibility was of a carnivore not even bothering to protect itself.

How he, for the first time, took down a perfectly normal student of Namimori Middle who had nothing to defend herself with.

How horrible Hibari felt to see that carnivore latched onto the hospital bed and unnaturally horrible he felt, too, when she had visitors.

Hibari tried to shun his instinct to protect and fend off enemies from his prey. It seemed that this instinct was eating him alive for not being close to that dying carnivore. He tried to distract himself with battle; but that only brought the feeling, the regret, and the knot in his stomach, back to reality. He tried to enforce the rules a little more; but no-one dared break any at all after seeing their example – Kaia.

She left the hospital yesterday, and apparently was staying at home until she fully recovered. Hibari's thoughts now drifted to where that might be. He knew the whole of Namimori by heart, and it wouldn't be difficult to root her out, single her out, to find her among the population of a meager city. He shook his head in an effort to rid himself of the thought. After finding it ineffective, he smashed his head into a pole to focus himself. He must not think of these vulgar herbivore matters. He was a carnivore; if he was caught with a weak side, he would fall and become a weakling, an herbivore. He became a little nauseous – he sat back down again.

Two objects of metal clattered on the gravelly rooftop. Hibari's tonfas lay ten meters away. Hibari just took one glance in that direction; his eyes hardened, and he quickly looked away. Punishing himself through physical pain is definitely not an option. It shows weakness of the heart – that was not for him to do.

Hibird chirped. Hibari looked down curiously at the little bird. He sighed and turned his head back to the view of Namimori.

And there he remained for a number of hours, trying to sort out everything, until he heard a whip crack. He mentally groaned.

"Hey, hey, Kyouya, don't be lazy – it's time."

"Okay, and?" Hibari muttered, still not facing his supposed "tutor." Dino frowned.

"You can't just lounge about – the Ring Battles are going to begin."

"Battle?" repeated Hibari. He seemed uninterested, but he was actually very interested. This was not only an opportunity to outfight an annoying cousin of that half carnivore/herbivore Sawada Tsunayoshi, but also to distract himself properly from that horrible conflict of feelings.

"Yeah, of course, why else am I here to teach you how to fight properly?"

"Just shut up; I don't need to listen to you."

"Tche; and to think Hibari Kyouya would pass on the chance to become more than who he is?"

"Like I would learn from an herbivore like you."

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Hah. So that's for you, Hibari, a special birthday scene. :D

Happy birthday!!

Oh yea, and talking about presents, I have a **27 hour countdown** for mine. xD

So excited~!

Oh yeah, and have an awesome life, everyone, and please tune in next time~! :]


	28. Disappearance

Sorry, everyone, for updating late, but here it is, still on-time!! :D

Happy Reading~! And reviewing and voting and everything~! ^^

And it's my birthday~! xDD HAHAHAHAHAHAAAHH I'm so happy, yet so sad. I'm OLD NOW!! Just Kidding. Just go on, read today's update!! xDD

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"Where's Kaia?" Jasmine asked.

"I put her to bed," said Soto. "Don't worry."

"I'm really concerned, though," Jasmine frowned. "I've got a bad feeling…"

"I'm sure it's nothing much," reassured Soto. He sighed. "I'll call Iemitsu; we need an update on these matters." He flipped open his cell phone and dialed the number, then waited for the call to connect.

"Iemitsu, it's Soto."

"_Soto…?"_

"We need an update what's going on with the Varia; you know that Allegra's kid is in Namimori already?"

"_Okay, don't tell me – Allegra's going to murder me too?"_

"No, I don't know about that. But I need to know what's happening outside; you aren't the only one involved."

"_Look – this is going to be hard to explain. Do you know who hold the rings?"_

"Yeah. Anything happening at all…?"

"_The Varia have come."_

"The Varia? Tonight?!"

"_Their first target is the Thunder – Lambo, the Bovino kid. I've already called the Storm, the Rain, and the Sun to make sure he's safe, as well as my son."_

"Wait…the entire Varia is going to attack Lambo?!"

"_It's the Levi Thunder Unit – Levi and his three best captains."_

"Levi?! Him, his subordinates, and his big, gigantic umbrellas?!"

"What?!" cried Jasmine. "I knew it – it was something bad; I'm going to check on Kaia."

"_Was that Jazz?"_

"Yeah, that was. I have to go; Kaia's in a precarious condition. I'll tell you about it later; ciao." Soto hung up, stuffed the cell phone into his pocket, and followed Jasmine to Kaia's room.

"Soto," breathed Jasmine. "She's gone! She's gone, she's gone, gone, gone, gone, gone! Oh, she's going to be dead…" She fell on her knees and began to cry.

"No, Jazz- Jasmine, come on. We have to find her."

"Where do you think she would be then?! Think about it!"

"Come on; just hope," said Soto. "For Allegra, for the Boss, for Kaia."

A scream echoed across the neighborhood. A wave of shock washed over Soto and Jasmine.

"Kaia!" Soto dashed straight out of the room, closely followed by Jasmine. "Jazz, you have any method of protecting yourself against the Varia?"

"I've got a gun; is that good enough?"

"Okay. We split up."

"Fine," agreed Jasmine. They both disappeared into the night, as the Scramble of the Ring Battles is set and arranged.

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That's for today, folks, so please review and vote and everything… xD

Have an awesome rest of your life!!


	29. Royal ShadowCourting

Ah, update again!! :D

Scene 29, it is, this time~! xDD

And I've heard Lambo's birthday is on…May 28, I think. If I'm wrong, tell me. I want to do something for him too. :D

But I'm not sure if I can catch it… T_T

Oh well, no vote changes, and for what I'm currently writing, it's an excess of 22k words in scene 50, and run into a little writer's block, which slowed my writing by a lot.

This is bad.

Anyway, I have enough to last me a while – I've probably gotten to about scene 70, I think. :D

Happy Reading, everyone, and please enjoy!! And review!!

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It was nighttime; the cold, frigid air bit into her skin as she walked through the park. The trees seemed to glow tonight; it was probably because of the fireflies. Kaia wound down the pathway, back out to the street. She only wore her pajamas; she would have been discovered if she had decided to pull on more clothes.

_I'm not supposed to be normal… Am I? Am I just a normal girl who doesn't deserve to live? Yes, that is what I am. I am a stupid, foolish, embarrassing, irritating, burdensome little girl who doesn't deserve to live… But how would I die? How would I die? Soto- no, he doesn't care about me. I'm just a tool to him. And Jasmine, to her, I'm a doll. But…am I human? Nobody cares about me… Just about everyone and everything around me, just not me. All the "attention" I get, it's just a way of achieving their own goals. There's nothing benefiting me whichever way you look at it. But how would I die…? Should I just wander to the corners of the earth…?_

_And how could I die, with…people always behind me, watching my every move… Everyone around me, they can all be people who follow me around, they can all be stalkers. And they would come out in the dead of night…and come out to- to do what they will._

Kaia silently sighed to herself; she was at a crossroad now. She could hear faint voices far off; she assumed this to be some joyful party at someone's house. Kaia wanted that to happen to her, too. To have a ton of friends, to throw a party, to be happy and throw the worries to the wind.

[And to throw the worries to the wind is like dumping all the laborious paperwork to the Storm Guardian. Of course, Kaia doesn't understand that, but you can pretty much understand considering Gokudera being Tsuna's right hand man in the manga in the future.]

Kaia turned her face away from the bright festivities and continued on her slow pace. She didn't know where she was going, neither did she care. After all, she was a stupid, foolish, embarrassing, irritating, burdensome little girl who doesn't deserve to live.

"Ushi-shi-shi-shi…"

Kaia froze. She picked up her pace a little; fearful of whatever that thing was, making that unnatural sound.

"Ushi-shi-shi-shi…"

By now, Kaia was running for her life. She was panting hard as her bare feet sought foot-hold on the rocky surface of the road.

"Ushi-shi-shi-shi…"

"Ushi-shi-shi…"

"Ushi-shi…"

"No," Kaia hoarsely cried. "No, back away, go away-" And she screamed.

"Shi-shi…What do we have here…?" a figure, outlined by the moonlight, appears. Kaia backs away in fright, slowly at first, then slightly faster. The pain that coursed through her feet now was a major problem. Kaia found that she could no longer run fast enough to escape.

"No…don't…" whimpered Kaia. "No…" She backed away from the figure, but turned around to try and run for it. But the moment she turned her back to the silhouette, a pair of slender arms slid around Kaia's neck. She could sense the person was both taller and older, but surprisingly gentle. A decorated knife was in the hand on the right; as the arms wound around her neck, Kaia stiffened so as the knife would not cut her throat. Kaia was frozen with fear and apprehension as the rest of the body moved closer and closer, until it was taped against hers.

"Ushi-shi-shi…You're cute…What's your name?" the person snickered. And Kaia knew who it was. It was that blonde…the blonde in that _other place_ after the pink bazooka…

"Kai…" Kaia managed to say.

"Hmm? What was that? I want you to say it again – so that I can hear, princess. What is your name?"

"Kai…" Kaia said a little louder.

"Kai, hmm?" Kaia could just feel the Cheshire grin on his face glimmer in the moonlight. "I don't think that's your real name, don't you, Kaiashi~?" Kaia gulped.

"H-How…?" Kaia whispered.

"Ushi-shi-shi-shi… I've been eyeing you for quite a while now…" His body started to move. Kaia struggled to find a way to escape, but there was none. His other hand wound down to her stomach; she was now a hostage of this person.

"Now – I don't want to kill you right now. It'll be too boring that way~" smirked the blonde. "But if you do anything that makes us noticed, then this will come into play." His dagger glimmered in the light.

Kaia held her breath. The dagger pressed against her skin, its cold bit into her skin harder than the chilly night air.

"Are…you…a…prince?" she croaked. She coughed a few times, and surprisingly, the grip was loosened so as she has space to cough. But when she was done, the grip tightened once more. The prince broke into a wide grin.

"How did you know, principessa?"

"I'm…not…a…princess…" Kaia whispered. The Prince started to drag Kaia backwards; they were going into an alley. Once they were completely immersed in darkness, the Prince let go of his hold on Kaia's neck; but he kept a firm grip on her arm. He chuckled eerily.

"Of course you are," he said. "Princes never court anybody but princesses."

_Court…?_

"Hey, prince has to do something now. Avvirederci, pretty princess~" He let go of his tight grip on her arm; he kneeled, took Kaia's hand, kissed it, and disappeared to the night. Kaia herself didn't know why she didn't immediately run away or escape. Perhaps he was blocking the only way out. Nevertheless, Kaia fell to her knees, which have turned to rubber from sheer fright and shock. She didn't know why this weird person was following her. She didn't know why in the world this prince was _courting_ her. She doesn't even know why he asserts that she is a princess.

She isn't a princess, of course. After all, she was a stupid, foolish, embarrassing, irritating, burdensome little girl who doesn't deserve to live.

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Aww…poor Kaia.

Oh well, there it is, scene 29. :D

It was longer than most updates, but I updated. HAH!! ;D

Have an awesome rest of your lives, everyone!! :]


	30. Unwanted Visitor

Hey, it's me again, with the update for scene 30!! ;D

Oh and thanks, MEKI, for reviewing both scenes 28 and 29, and also vampireizzy, Tuna1827, and Tsunadesama89 for reviewing last scene! :D

Happy Reading~! And please review too. :]

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Kaia had pulled out all of the little annoying rocks stuck in her bare feet from the road; after the disappearance of the prince, Kaia was shocked and empty-minded. She focused on getting back home, or to get to somewhere safe from those…people. She stumbled to the sidewalk and set off at an encouraging pace, hoping nothing else would happen tonight.

She sighed and continued on her way. In time, she reached a faintly familiar place – the park. There was the crossroads again.

_Kufufufufufuu…Don't you listen to that psychotic prince._

_Listen to me, dear…_

Kaia started. She now cried out, "Who's there?!"

_Foolish girl. Nobody will come._

Mist began to swirl and dance around her; it came gradually at first, then grew thicker and beautiful, and seemed to cast shadows on the road.

_Kufufufufufufufuu…_

A familiar form appeared, a familiar aura came about.

"Who's there?! Who are you…?!" panted Kaia, as she backed away from the approaching figure, backing away into the brick wall of the border to the next house's property.

"Kufufufufufuu…My, my, Kaia, aren't you shaken?" grinned Mukuro. In his hand he held a rather dangerous metal trident, and Kaia eyed it with a certain degree of distrust and fear. Mukuro advanced, extending his trident to its full length.

"Surely you will serve as sufficient bait for me to take control of what's left of the Vongola?" he placed the trident end against Kaia's neck, directly under the jawbone, holding it in much of the same fashion as a pool stick. "Will you?"

"Rokudo Mukuro," growled a voice. Bullets bit holes into the wall of mist. Each of them only narrowly missed Mukuro, who stood up straight and laughed.

"Ah, so the Cloud comes?"

"Stand away from Kaia," warned Soto. Jasmine followed close behind, her gun aimed straight for Mukuro's heart.

"You are well aware that if you kill me, Soto, that you will be committing treason to the Vongola, for killing the Guardian of the Mist, as well as automatically hailing Xanxus and the Varia as the new Tenth?" Mukuro chuckled. "You're bound to ruin the Vongola."

"So you've escaped the Vendiche _again_?" Soto narrowed his eyes. "I'd advise you leave right now." Mukuro chuckled.

"You'll certainly be mistaken if you mean forever." He removed the trident from Kaia and disappeared into thin air. The mist dwindled to nothing as well, and all was night again. Soto rushed to Kaia's side, as well as Jasmine.

Kaia's eyes drooped half-way, but she jolted herself a little more awake when she saw the two people.

"Who…?" Kaia started, before erupting into a fit of coughs. "Who…are…you…?"

"Kaia!" cried Soto. He grabbed Kaia's shoulders and shook her vigorously. "Kaia, are you alright?!"

"Stop, Soto!" said Jasmine. "Stop…don't. Check her pulse."

"Who…is…the prince?"

Soto froze. Jasmine's eyes widened in shock.

"Where exactly did you see…this prince?" Jasmine asked.

"Blonde…" Kaia closed her eyes. "Knife…prince…and principessa…"

"P-Principessa?!" Jasmine repeated in surprise. _Kaia's met Belphegor, for sure. Otherwise, why would she make such a thing up, and how does she know what princess is in Italian??_

"Jasmine – her pulse is farther away, weaker, but faster. And she's colder."

"Then we must hurry," said Jasmine. "You carry her – I'll get back to her apartment to properly put her to bed now."

"Okay," nodded Soto. "Come on, Kaia."

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Once more, Kaia was put to bed. Jasmine thought it best if she went to school tomorrow; she would be safe with a crowd of peers. Also, since the Vongola were all training to fight the Varia, they wouldn't be there. That day at school would have nothing to worry about.

Both Jasmine and Soto sat at the couch drinking tea, watching the late-at-night news. But apparently, Soto was ignoring it.

"Hi, this is Wakanuke Yuki, and this is channel 20 news. First off, the city officials of Namimori have agreed to begin building a brand-new, record-setting shopping mall in the city. The official beginning of construction is scheduled to begin around next month…" and on and on the television ranted about things happening around Japan.

"Oh, a shopping mall," grinned Jasmine. "I'm totally going to be the first one in."

"And wasting the Vongola's hard-earned money?"

"No, I'm going to use my salary, stupid."

"Well, that _is _the Vongola's hard-earned money."

"Shut up…" Jasmine pouted and drank some of her tea.

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Thanks for reading, and please tune in for the next update~! :DD

Have an awesome life, everyone!!


	31. School, Day 2

Sorry, everyone, I was unable to update anything at all during the weekends. Anyway, to make up for that, this scene is longer than most of them, so…

Thanks, Shoko-Chan and MEKI, for reviewing!! :D

No vote changes, so, happy reading!! And please review as well!! xDD

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"Come on, get up, Kaia," Soto knocked at her room and opened the door. Kaia was still in bed, but her eyes were wide open. "Kaia?"

She started, but calmed down a little once she saw it was Soto.

"You're going to school today, okay? You can't just ditch school for a week," frowned Soto. "Get up. I've got soup in the kitchen ready for you if you want it, okay?" He left, closing the door. Kaia blinked. Somehow, her mind felt more uncluttered. She knew what this place was, she knew who Soto was, and she knew…what the smell of soup was. Oh, it reminded her of the old days – when her mother and her father used to live together.

It had been a large mansion, the place they lived in. Kaia used explore the place all the time, and knew it upside down and inside out. Both her father and her mother would talk in some language Kaia would only half-understand; Kaia knew a few words of that language, but never found out what that language was. Her mother would always go to the kitchen, get in a big argument with the cook, and end up cooking soup by herself. And it was when Kaia would smell the irresistible smell of soup and drift into the kitchen, drooling with the longing and impatience to taste it. But then, her father left, her mother became exceedingly busy, and they moved to Japan. After Kaia and her mother moved to Japan for a while, her mother left again for Canada, according to her, to find another job.

Kaia got out of bed and dressed herself properly, then went to the kitchen to see what lay in store for her.

When Jasmine saw her and her shy, little smile on her face, she cried out in joy and hugged Kaia tightly for a while. After the two settled down, Kaia rushed to the pot of soup on the stove with an oversized ladle and an oversized bowl.

"Eh- no, Kaia! Not that much!" Soto paled. He snatched the ladle from Kaia and, instead, scooped out an amount she would be able to stomach in fifteen minutes. "School starts in about twenty-five minutes. Hurry up with your breakfast and be on your way, okay?" Kaia just nodded solemnly and started to sip her soup.

"Ah, Kaia, here's your bento…" Jasmine handed it to Kaia, who gratefully accepted it and slipped it in her bag.

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The very second Kaia burst out of her front door, she fell down. It wasn't her fault, actually. Gokudera was so intent on asking that Dino person about his new Half-Vongola Storm Ring that he hadn't noticed that Kaia, too, figured to go to school. Gokudera was still on his two feet, and looked down pitilessly at Kaia.

Kaia, meanwhile, slowly picked herself up, trying to ignore the horrid stares her classmate was giving her. When she was fully upright again, she felt belittled by the hateful glaring from the still taller Gokudera. Still avoiding his eyes, Kaia looked down to the ground and said:

"Can…you…please…stop…?"

Gokudera rolled his eyes.

"Keh." And with that, he left without another word. Kaia just stood at her doorstep for a while. Of course, she didn't want to be seen with such a rude person. Now, she carefully made her way down the stairwell and in the same direction she had gone the last time she actually got to school.

As she walked, she passed by a certain place which she remembered she had been before. There was no bazooka today, no Kyoko, none of those three, and no talking baby. There was, however, a woman, two infants, and a man she recognized. Kaia furrowed her brow; she had seen this person before, but never in a mining suit. She searched her memory; the last time she saw him had been years ago, when her mother and father used to still live together. Kaia approached the household, and the woman noticed her.

"Hello~! Are you one of Tsuna-kun's classmates? School is going to start soon…" beamed the woman. Kaia smiled and nodded, but her eyes flitted to the faintly familiar man sitting some distance away on the front door. That same man perked up, and walked up beside the cheerful woman.

"Hey, kid!" beamed the man with a mighty laugh, looming up over her. "You should be getting to school, don't you think?" He chuckled and mumbled to himself, and abruptly walked away. "Kids these days…really…"

"Ah, don't mind him, dear, you should be getting to school," the woman seemed concerned, but still brilliantly happy. Kaia nodded with a fake smile, and went on her way again. It was only after a long while had she felt something on her head. Kaia stopped in her tracks and reached her hand upwards to set the thing down on the ground.

She felt a mass of…something resembling the filling of a pillow. Kaia pulled the weight off her head, and found it to be one of the infants running around – the one with the afro.

"Lambo-san wants a candy," the toddler whined. "Eh? Do _you_ have a candy~?" Kaia shook her head and placed the child on the ground.

"Awww… Where's Dame-Tsuna…?" yawned the kid. "I…want…**candy**!!" He stomped his foot on the ground in emphasis and sniffed. Kaia kneeled down to the kid's eye level. She smiled her true, sincere smile.

"Are…you…Lambo-san? I'm…Kaia," she whispered.

"Ehh?!" Lambo gaped up at Kaia. Seeing her smile, he, all in one moment, understood her. He broke into his wide grin. "Hai! I'm [Watashi wa] Lambo-sama!!"

"Well…Lambo-san…can…you…help…get…me…to…Namimori…Middle…please?" Kaia wasn't sure how to get to school again. She erupted into another fit of coughs, and she momentarily faced away from Lambo. Of course, she wasn't one who liked snot-covered babies.

"Of course! Lambo-sama knows all!!" With that, Lambo marched on forward, then broke into a giggling run. "You're not gonna catch the great Lambo-sama! KYAHAHHAHAHAHAAA!!"

Kaia smiled to herself – even this little, disrespectful toddler could understand her when those of experience, like Soto, Jasmine, couldn't. She, too, broke into a run.

"You aren't going to catch me!! KYAHAHHAHAHHAAHAH!!"

_Nobody is going to catch up with your potential, Lambo, even if you're looked down upon or shunned from everyone. Your future is bright – brighter than mine._

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So, Kaia meets Lambo!! :D

Happy early birthday to him, as I've figured out I can't do something special for Lambo's birthday on time… Which is bad.

Thanks to everyone who read, and so please, please review? :D

Have an awesome life, everyone, and please review!! xD


	32. Late

Sorry for not updating yesterday, and as you know, my updates have been slowing down… D:

Gahh… Sorry, everyone, sorry!! Oh well, anyway, the story's still rolling along quite fine, but I'm not quite done with the Varia arc. *winks*

And MEKI, even I can't quite work out how Lambo could understand anything aside from food, sleep, and whining. But, note, he has a brain, and I'll just keep this a mystery until Lambo finally could explain himself [not as a toddler, obviously].

Thanks to MEKI and vampireizzy for reviewing!! :D Love you both! And everyone who reads and everything!! xD

Happy Reading, and please review [again??]!!

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"There it is~!" Lambo pointed. Now, he was a hand-held GPS, in a way. Kaia had him securely in her arms; this way, Lambo wouldn't get lost, and Kaia would find her way to school. Kaia smiled, and continued to run as fast as she could to her destination. And then there was the gate.

It loomed over them; it was impossible for them to climb. Otherwise, if they _did_ climb it, Kaia would certainly be in trouble.

"That way!" called Lambo. He pointed, and Kaia hurried in that direction. They were coming in the back way. They kept running – there soon came an entrance. Kaia readily took it. But once she got to the school, she wondered what to do with Lambo. He wasn't supposed to be here.

"Lambo…" breathed Kaia. "Thanks…"

"HUM!" beamed Lambo. "I'm gonna play…**hide and seek**!!" And he leaped out of Kaia's grasp and ran off to play hide and seek by himself. Though Kaia was unsure how Lambo would play hide and seek by himself, she shrugged and entered the school campus.

After a while, Kaia reached her classroom – it was right on time. The bell rang, and Kaia hurried to her seat.

And as if the teacher could read her mind, he boomed:

"Raiahu Kaiashi, report to the Reception Room – you were late."

Kaia paled.

"No excuses! To the Disciplinary Committee! Right now!" he pointed a finger to the classroom door.

"But…" complained Kaia. She was silenced by an indignant stare from the teacher, and she reluctantly left the classroom. Tsuna eyed her pitifully, and as Gokudera followed Juudaime's gaze, instead of wrinkling his nose in disgust, he just looked away. Yamamoto preferred to not even notice; it wasn't like him to be sad. Nevertheless, he was concerned.

Kaia was out in the hallway again – as she made her way to the Disciplinary Committee, she began to slow down. She didn't want to face the President ever again, much less get on his bad side. He already gave her that bruise and that injury in her head. In fact, she wasn't even thinking of that. She had a bad feeling floating about her. Something horrible was going to happen to her again. Kaia was sure of that. But still, getting to the Disciplinary Committee wasn't going to take forever. She halted right in front of the door, which was labeled "Disciplinary Committee."

"Come in," growled the same, low, menacing voice Kaia heard the last time she had come here. Kaia nervously gripped the door knob and turned it. The door swung open a crack, and Kaia stuck a head out. Hibari's expression darkened. His murderous aura intensified – even to a point that Kaia could not ignore it. Kaia shut the door gently and walked up timidly to Hibari's desk.

"I am aware you were late, Raiahu." Hibari was clearly very pissed off. Kaia bowed her head in an effort to pacify him, and to avoid his glare. It seemed that people liked to stare at her… And Kaia miserably noted this fact.

"And it seems you have brought something to school you shouldn't have brought," Hibari narrowed his eyes dangerously. Kaia looked up. Hibari was holding up something that faintly resembled that of a broccoli by the scruff. Kaia's eyes widened. It was Lambo.

"Lambo…" Kaia bit back her urge to slap Hibari. He had hurt Lambo – the poor toddler was covered in little bruises. She fought herself to keep the angry tears to flow. "You…" Kaia shut her eyes and turned away. She had to suppress her anger; if she exploded against Hibari, who knew what would happen? "Punish…me…not…him…Hi-Hibari…sempai…"

"Very well," a wicked gleam appeared in Hibari's eye. "Take this useless piece of trash to that Sawada – he'll see to it this trash will be taken care of." He threw the unconscious Lambo relentlessly at Kaia. Luckily, Kaia had turned around, and she caught Lambo in her arms. "But if you don't come back, you _will_ be bitten to death, clear?!"

"H-Hai…" Kaia nodded. She hurried out of the room, and eventually found her classroom. She slammed open the classroom door, angering the teacher.

"Rai-" he started, but was cut off by Kaia's soft but authoritative voice. She was desperate. Lambo was in a bad condition.

"Sawada…Tsuna…yoshi…" she looked to Tsuna. He stood up from his seat, and saw the poor Lambo in her hands. "I'm…sorry…" Kaia looked she was on the verge of tears. She obviously cared a lot about Lambo, and Tsuna rushed over to get him.

"How?" Tsuna paled. Kaia looked up to Tsuna.

"Hibari…sempai…" she looked away and rushed back out of the classroom. Tsuna looked after her running person pitifully, bowed his head respectfully to her, and returned to his seat. He understood. Gokudera glanced questionably to Tsuna.

"Juudaime, what was that about?" he frowned with concern due to Tsuna's somber expression.

"She stopped Hibari from hurting Lambo – but with a sacrifice with her own; probably at the cost of her life."

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About Tsuna's ending comment:

Well, it was Hibari and Kaia. Kaia tended to get really bad injuries when the President was involved for some reason. Also, there's rumors floating in Namimori about that, but I shouldn't explain right now. It'll come later, and also, you know how Hibari hates crowds, including the crowds that flock together when the Vongola or the mafia is involved. Of course, he knew that Lambo was the Thunder Guardian. And he acknowledges the fact that this Tenth Vongola Family is just a group of herbivores, and that fact is emphasized by Lambo's relation to the Vongola. Tsuna knows that, because Dino was already training Hibari for the Ring Battles. Obviously, Hibari couldn't fight in the Ring Battles if he hadn't a clue about what the Vongola was, the mafia, and how everything worked.

Also, as a reminder to both me and you, today is the day of the first ring battle – the Sun Battle. And, today in the story is Saturday. The Japanese have half-school-days on Saturdays, so that explains why they have school right now [in the story] and why the Japanese kids have the most days of school in a school year.

So that's it for this update, and if you want to read more, please, please review!

I've noticed there weren't a lot of votes either, so please vote too?? :DD

Thanks everyone!!

Have an awesome life, everyone~!!


	33. Witch

Hey, and I'm back again~! :D

This update is a lot shorter than the last one, sorry, but I think it's pretty okay for a short one. So please review, and the author here would be very, very happy about it and hence would write a lot faster. xD

Also, for those who know Black Cat, you probably would find this very familiar. I give credit to Yabuki Kentaro, the artist and author of the manga and anime Black Cat, to the basic idea, but it's different. I'll leave it to you, the readers, to find out. I know already… :]

I don't own KHR either; that belongs to Amano Akira.

Happy Reading, and please review!!

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Kaia ran as fast as she could back to the Disciplinary Committee. Her heavy breaths echoed in the hallway, and her footfalls seemed to double. Kaia halted before the door of the Disciplinary Committee room again, and she paused. She was afraid of entering, and yet she feared a penalty if she arrived too late. Kaia looked down at her hand, reaching out for the door knob. It was trembling. She tried to calm herself down with a few deep, controlled breaths, but it hardly affected her nervousness.

She had a feeling Hibari was literally going to kill her. The murderous aura was more than she can bear. But she summoned what was left of her courage and grasped the door knob. She turned it, wincing as she tried to control her hand from turning the knob too quickly. She wanted to stall as much time as she could, before she would confront Hibari. But time passes by, and Kaia had turned the knob. She opened the door again – this time, Hibari was on the couch.

He turned his head. Kaia now felt the full blast of his aura. Inside, she crumbled to the floor with fear. But on the outside, she miraculously remained standing.

"What…is…my…punishment…?" Kaia hesitatingly approached the edge of the couch.

"Of course, Kaia, what do you think?" Kaia was taken aback by Hibari's answer. Never had she been addressed by this fearsome person as Kaia. She paled, then blushed. It was like last night's encounter with the prince all over again. Kaia looked away; she paled again. She realized it must be a type of showing respect for the dead. Kaia was really scared now, and she backed away.

Tonfas flashed into her vision. The crooked grin on Hibari's mouth guaranteed Kaia's doom. Hibari stood up and grabbed Kaia's arm.

"We're going to the roof; I will not tolerate dirtying carpet." He flung open the door, and dragged Kaia up to the rooftop. The clear air somewhat cleansed and diminished Hibari's murderous aura, but Kaia couldn't ignore it, no matter what she tried to make herself believe. She looked around – the view was stunning. Kaia smiled softly and sadly to herself, before facing Hibari again.

Actually, what shocked herself the most was how Hibari was shocked. Kaia's eyes widened as she looked into Hibari's surprised eyes. His eyes quickly hardened, however, and he said this:

"You are a witch."

"Witch…?" Kaia wonderingly repeated to herself. How was she a witch? But before she could process anything else, Hibari charged.

But all that occurred to Kaia was a slight graze on her leg. She took a surprised step away from where Hibari had been, and looked behind her. Hibari had crashed into the roof's entrance enclosure box, and he looked like he hurt his head pretty bad. There was a prominent dent in the metal, but Hibari emerged as if nothing happened, aside from the fact that he angrier than ever.

Kaia hadn't done anything at all, but it seemed Hibari thought otherwise. Kaia thought for a little while, but came to a conclusion. Hibari was probably acting weird or bumping into bad luck everywhere, like she was, and he decided to blame it on her. Hence, it led to the mild suggestion of magic, and there was the birth of Kaia, the evil witch.

And Hibari planned to kill her for it.

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There you go, scene 33! :D

Thanks for reading, and please review! Tune in next time~!

Have an awesome life, everyone!! xD


	34. Risks

I am so thrilled for more votes! ;D

New votes, courtesy to MEKI!

Mukuro/Kaia: 8 [and 5 re-votes from Shin] [one of the votes are from Shoko-Chan, and she re-votes **twice**]

Mukuro/Kaia with a Hibari twist: 1 [and **3** re-votes from Shoko-Chan]

Gokudera/Kaia: 3 1/2 [and 1 1/2 re-votes from Shin] [another re-vote from Crazee4anime] [Tsunadesama89 half-votes, but all final votes will be rounded down. Heheh.]

------------------ In a way, though, it's actually three votes…

Hibari/Haruka: 2 [and another re-vote from Shin]

Yamamoto/Chrome: 2 [and 2 re-votes from Shin] [and a re-vote from Banyou]

Hibari/Kaia: 1

Belphegor/Kaia: 1

Yes, MEKI has voted for Hibari/Kaia and Belphegor/Kaia! To all those who like it, you can vote too! :]

Well, you're in luck, Shoko-Chan, MEKI, here is Hibari/Kaia stuff! [Or the part for the twist. xD]

Happy Reading, and please review! Thanks a ton~!

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"Hibari-sempai…" began Kaia.

"You-" Hibari narrowed his eyes in a scowl and charged again. He barely grazed Kaia's leg. Kaia was obviously confused. Hibari skidded a few meters across the rooftop and stood up. He paused, and calmly threw his tonfas across the rooftop, a good ten meters from the extent of his arm. He averted his eyes to the ground.

And though Kaia didn't want to even think of it, she could see some color in Hibari's face. By color, she meant a _certain_ color. Kaia was horrified, but she was still more scared. Actually, it's like comparing a drop of water and the ocean. She hadn't ever seen someone so tough and proud and…carnivorous on the surface reveal their tender and soft inner personality. Simply put, she was speechless. She took an uncertain step backwards.

"Don't. Come here."

Those three words caught Kaia's breath.

_To come to him? Is it a trap?_

She took a tentative step forward. That was followed by another, and then another, each coming at varied intervals. One second, she wanted to get it over with; if she were to die, she would like it to come quickly and sharply. But the next moment, she was hesitant to rush to her death. But nevertheless, whenever Kaia wishes something to take an eternity to accomplish, time cruelly quickens its pace. She was standing directly in front of Hibari Kyouya, less than an arm-length away. Kaia looked up to the imposing figure. A hand reached out and pulled her into a gentle but captivating hug.

She couldn't even bring herself to think properly. Kaia was being embraced by the same person who had inflicted such horrible injuries upon her body. They remained in the embrace for a few minutes, Kaia's face pressed against Hibari's chest. She tried to muffle her heavy breaths in his clothes, but in vain.

"Tell me, what's bothering you?"

Kaia held her breath and remained silent. Her shoulders began to tremble.

"Kaia? You seem…troubled." Hibari looked down, seeing a head of brown hair on a body with the Namimori uniform.

"The…prince…will…_kill_…me…" Kaia said, as she choked back her sobs. She pushed herself away from Hibari and backed away fearfully, then turned her back and disappeared into the building. The President just stood there, watching her run and disappear back into the school.

"The prince, eh?" Hibari's eyes gleamed formidably with revenge. "I wonder…"

A ghost of purple floated about his tonfas, ten meters away.

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"_The…prince…will…__**kill**__…me…" Kaia said, as she choked back her sobs. She pushed herself away from Hibari and backed away fearfully, then turned her back and disappeared into the building._

Kaia stumbled down the first step but kept on going – she didn't want to see the President of the Disciplinary Committee again, neither did she want to see that prince. But the farther she went down the stairs, her conscience began to blur. She felt detached and more detached as she came down the stairs. The senses began to weaken one by one. Her breaths became laborious. She never reached the last step on the stairwell.

She collapsed and fainted on the second-to-last step on the staircase.

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Yeah, I didn't add the part about the prince/Kaia, right? *laughs*

Again, poor Kaia…

Oh well, please review, and the author[ess] will be very happy! And will update a lot! ;D

Thanks for reading and please tune in next time! xD

Have an awesome life~!


	35. Vongola's New Family Member

Thanks so much, everyone, for reviewing! :D

Actually, to Shoko-Chan and MEKI! :]

The votes didn't change, but oh well, I'll just wait for some more~!

This time around, I decided to make Kaia a little more special. You'll see some reference to this part a long time later… I'm not quite sure, but just so we know, and I don't forget, I'm about…38k words over scene 50. :D

Happy Reading, and please review!!

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The phone rang. Soto wondered who would call him at such a time. He was training, for goodness's sake… It was in an underground training room – a special one constructed for future purposes serving the Vongola Decimo. Soto pressed a few keys on the number pad on the wall. The targets all disappeared, and the room became an empty room once more. Soto set down his prized _épéé de cour_, or commonly called the court sword, and plunged his hand into his pocket to root out his cell phone. Again.

"Iello~"

"It's Reborn."

Oddly enough, the Arcobaleno was dead serious.

"Eh…Really? What is it?"

"It's Kaia – she's in the school hospital right now, though. By way of Iemitsu, I know she wouldn't approve of going back to the hospital."

"…what?!" gasped Soto.

"I've already got Jasmine there, though it's not really helping with keeping Shamal out…I should have told you that Shamal was the school doctor, shouldn't I?"

"What- I'm coming then, Reborn. What's the situation with the Tenth and his Family?" Soto's voice was stern; he had already grabbed his weapon and was making his way out to the surface of the ground.

"Lambo's been beaten pretty bad by Hibari, who's nowhere to be found as of current. Ryohei is continuing school as normal. Tsuna, Gokudera, and Yamamoto had to ditch class to get Lambo home and to see if Kaia's okay. But now, they've been forced back to class." Soto could see Reborn's malicious grin on his face already.

"Okay, Reborn-"

"Soto." The grin disappeared.

The Cloud Guardian was silent, waiting for Reborn to finish what he has to say.

"No, I'll just explain later. I'm awaiting you in the recuperation room with questions as well."

The line cut. Soto cursed to himself and threw the cell phone to the seat beside him. He had to focus on driving, of course.

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Soto burst through the door.

"Damn you, Reborn, for rushing me all the way here," he grumbled. He nodded to Jasmine. "What happened? Reborn?" He looked to the home tutor as well.

"Her physical condition isn't the problem here," said Jasmine. "As you know, it's her mental state of things that we have to rely on." She looked hard at Soto. "Again, I need to know what happened these past few days." Soto sighed.

"Didn't you _see_ what happened these few days? I've only seen as much as you did, aside from Hibari's rather sudden attack on Kaia's head," he frowned.

"Soto, if this is a problem with the way she thinks," said Reborn, "then we need to figure out what exactly was the cause of all this."

"Which means we need to know what happened," finished Jasmine. Reborn nodded.

"Well, before you came, Jazz, Kaia was perfectly normal. She was moved to Namimori, though, as the Ninth thought she'd be safe with protection from the successor. But, on the first day of school, which had been Monday, Kaia both received a bruise and that knock on the head from Hibari Kyouya, the new Cloud Guardian. She was out for two days. After that, though, things began to get worse. Kaia became sluggish and not energetic. That's when I called Jasmine," Soto looked to the eighteen-year-old. "She came on Thursday, and we had her brain-scanned that same day. On Friday, though, Kaia snuck out of the apartment. It was where she met…Belphegor."

"Bel, her supposed rival, correct?" nodded Reborn.

"Not only that; after he left, there was Rokudo Mukuro as well," added Soto. Jasmine nodded in agreement.

"And what happened today, well we made her go to school. She'd be safer among a crowd of peers, and I still need to train," said Soto.

"That's where you made a mistake," said the Arcobaleno. "It was because she had gone to school, had she gotten into some trouble with Hibari, and probably resulted in her current state."

"Nevertheless that mistake, it's what happened," sighed Jasmine. "We have to deal with it."

"I've gotten a call from Iemitsu," said Reborn. "It might help."

"Yeah, I think you mentioned that," chimed in Soto.

"No, I haven't," Reborn corrected. "He said that he would make Kaia the…" He looked to Soto.

Soto raised his eyebrow in disbelief. Reborn nodded knowingly, and Soto knew it was true, though he still couldn't believe it. He had met the Ninth's, actually was a good friend with him. The only problem was, though, was that Soto had only found out when that same friend confessed to it at the last moment of his life. At the time, Soto hadn't any knowledge regarding the existence of such a position, but now he knew the full extent of the roles and duties of this.

"W-What is it called?" asked Jasmine.

"Can't tell you," frowned Reborn. "I've been permitted to tell only those who know; those who do not must not know. Otherwise, Kaia will be in much more danger than she is right now. I am, of course, the tutor of Iemitsu's son and the Ninth's most trusted hitman…"

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Heh. Reborn is really full of himself, as you can tell in the last sentence of the scene. xD

And Kaia, she's…part of the Vongola now. Well, her mom is, and Soto is, too. I mean, how could a tutor from the mafia teach you how to do a lot of things that could be related to the mafia, and yet you are completely uninvolved with the mafia in the first place? Well, good luck, Kaia, with whatever job you have now. ;D

Have an awesome life, everyone, and please review so the author[ess] here would be extremely(!) happy and would be updating like mad!

Thanks~!

:]


	36. Thunder, Wind, and Rain

Gahhh, I'm so sorry for such a late update!! D:

Anyway, thanks MEKI for reviewing **twice**!! xD

I don't own KHR, and that goes for all chapters. T_T

Happy Reading…and please review~!

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The next day brought about rain. Kaia had woken again, and was returned to her apartment. She remained indoors for the day, however she was constantly caught looking forlornly outside, gazing up at the cloudy skies, the relentlessly pelting rain, the mighty winds sweeping the city, and the deafening roars of the thunder. Soto pressed her to sleep – it was better than seeing her sit by her window hour after hour, looking up into the dark skies. Once she was asleep, Jasmine and Soto began to talk.

"It's the second Ring Battle today," remarked Soto. "The Thunder."

"Isn't it for that kid, Lambo, then?" Jasmine raised an eyebrow. "He's in no shape to fight!"

"No, shhh, you'll wake up Kaia," Soto motioned to her stirring form. Jasmine frowned. Kaia opened her eyes, and she slowly sat up.

"L-Lambo…?" Kaia rubbed her eye and blinked. "Where's-"

"He's all better now, okay, Kaia?" reassured Jasmine. "Wait one second – I'll get you some tea." She got up and retreated into the kitchen. Kaia laid back down, staring blankly up at the ceiling. Soto went to the front door and opened it, breathing in the fresh air of a rainy day. The entire apartment was getting quite stuffy, as Jasmine wouldn't allow Kaia to ever go wandering again. The windows, of course, were all shut with a lock.

Soto shortly closed the door. He turned to Kaia.

"Would you like a walk in the rain?" he smiled. Kaia looked at Soto and nodded. Jasmine came in from the kitchen with a teapot and three teacups already poured with the tea. She placed the tray down on the table.

"Kaia, here – tea."

But Kaia shook her head. She looked apologetic, and Jasmine nodded as if she understood.

"I…want…to…walk…in…the…rain…"

"Then let's all go, shall we?" smiled Soto. Kaia shook her head.

"Just…me…"

Both the expressions of Jasmine and Soto immediately darkened.

"Kaia…we can't allow you to wander off like before," said Soto. Kaia wasn't happy. She shakily stood up and walked to her own room, silently shutting the door behind her. Jasmine just watched Kaia go, and she looked to Soto.

"We have to call Allegra."

"No, we must not. She is busy enough as she is."

"…are you going to bring Kaia to the Thunder Battle tonight? Or watch?" frowned Jasmine. "I haven't been able to see the successor yet."

"You'll get to – later," smirked Soto. "We are definitely not going. Kaia's not ready yet to see the mafia at work."

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The next few days were relatively uneventful – to Soto, to Jasmine, at least. Jasmine preferred not to go at all, and to stay at Kaia's apartment to watch over her. Soto hadn't gone to the Sun Battle, of course, because of Kaia's mishap with Hibari again. Neither had he seen the Thunder Battle, as he stayed home with Kaia and Jasmine. The Storm Battle was situated inside, so Soto wasn't able to watch that without exposing the fact that he was actually in Namimori to the Varia. He was supposed to be hiding somewhere in Italy; nobody other than Reborn and the Ninth's Guardians knew that he was in Namimori now. But the Rain Battle, he was there. The viewing platform was outside, and there was that large screen on one of the school buildings to watch.

Jasmine hadn't seen anything, but she heard of the current standings. Tsuna's side had the Sun Ring and the Rain Ring. The Varia had gained the Thunder Ring, the Storm Ring, and the Sky Ring, due to Tsuna's interference. Soto approved of Yamamoto as the Guardian of Rain – after all, as Reborn pointed out, he was a natural-born assassin. He only worried when the time comes when they must be rid of their blood innocence. There, he agreed with the disappeared Squalo.

However, he fell over laughing when he found out that Hibari was actually _there_, _**watching**_. Jasmine was shocked. Hibari usually wasn't interested in anything involving crowding – this unusual interest was really something none of them even thought would ever happen.

Kaia, though, was stuck in her apartment throughout those two days: in the kitchen, the living room, her own room. Meaning, she was limited to sleeping, eating, or being locked in her room. On Sunday, the day of the Thunder Battle, she was once again brought to the Cavallone hospital to be scanned – Jasmine wanted to study the patterns of Kaia's negative dying will. Right after, she was put to sleep – again. Soto and Jasmine know that her training can't progress if she's in such a state, so finding the cause and cure of Kaia's ailment is top priority.

For Ria, who is trapped in her own little world, she has seen every single one of the Battles. She knows all about the Varia, about the Vongola, about Tsuna's group, and everything going on throughout the Ring Battles.

But that's Ria we're talking about, not Kaia.

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Once again, from this point on, Kaia and Ria are different. :D

And I'm sure that you all know which battle comes after the Rain Battle… :]

Thanks for reading and please review down there!! I'd absolutely love that!! Thanks a billion times to those who do!!

Have an awesome life, everyone! Love you all!!


	37. Ria, Kaia

Thanks so much for reviewing, lara gin!! :D

And for all those alerts as well!! I am so impossibly happy~!

Anyway, Happy Reading and please, please review!! xDD

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"Hora, hora, look at what I found~" grinned a faintly familiar voice. "Raiahu Kaiashi, isn't it? The one for _that_ position…"

Kaia stirred, and she opened her eyes. When she fell asleep, she was alone in her own room – but now, she was on her bed, in some type of Japanese garden… Kaia hurriedly sat up, panicking. It was that scary pineapple-person from that night…

"Kufufufufufuu~" Mukuro raised an eyebrow. "Don't be afraid…I don't mean to kill you…yet…"

"What do you want?" demanded Kaia.

"I demand to see Ria, of course," smirked the illusionist. "Sadly, it's just not your turn yet."

"Wha- _I'm_ Ria, am I?!"

Mukuro aimed a silver gun at her head and fired. An ominous silence followed.

"Wake up, dear Ria… It's time for you to see that weak baby Lambo get beaten up," laughed Mukuro. "Levi Volta is such an overrated move; it's totally worth seeing…"

"Really?" the same body sat up and rubbed her eye tiredly. Ria yawned. "Mukuro-san, I've already sat up for hours watching that boring boxing match… You know how I hate seeing people bare-hand fighting, right?" She stretched and looked calmly at Mukuro. "It's Lambo and Levi-a-Than tonight, right? Hope it's not that boring…"

"No, it's not going to be boring, I'm sure. I've brought Chrome to watch as well; she's going to be our 'camera,' okay?"

"Yeah, like all the time."

"What- It's only been once so far, and-"

"Let's just get on with it already!"

"You are such a child," chuckled Mukuro.

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Kaia sat up abruptly, panting hard in her darkened room. She looked, still heavily breathing, out the window – it was still raining outside.

_That Rokudo Mukuro… He killed me… No, it's just a dream, a nightmare or something. I'm not dead, am I? I'm s-still here…_

She tried to calm herself down. Her mind was empty, devoid, of all thoughts. She just looked up to the skies blankly, thinking, yet at the same time, not thinking…

It was after midnight; she was sure of it. Kaia was already finished with her mourning – she was so miserable she could no longer summon her tears. But in the light of things, she cheered up a little bit. That was due to the realization that it was drawing to an end – the agony and punishment she inflicts upon herself would be gone for eternity.

No, was it even her who is slowly killing herself? Kaia didn't know, but there was something out there, or in her, who isn't making her life any easier.

Could it be Soto? Before she moved to Namimori, Soto had been pressing her to train ever since she would arrive home. He would always force her to finish all her homework in around fifteen minutes, and even if she didn't, he would drag her into his car and drive for fifteen minutes on the highway, then get to this underground place. And they'd stay there far into the night, for a couple of hours after sundown. After, they would drive back home, Soto would drop Kaia at her home, and he'd drive off to wherever his house is. And that time would be about eight hours before school starts. Either Kaia doesn't get enough sleep and is completely tired out the next day, or she doesn't finish homework.

Overall, it's actually amazing that the best part of the day usually would be school, back in Kokyou. Now, in Namimori, Kaia doesn't really go to school anymore, and the time she just wastes away when she just lays there…

_It's unreal, it really is._

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So that was scene 37! :D

Yay, five days to Lambo's birthday!! Sorry, Lambo, you won't really be here for the next few chapters, since it's all about the Ring Battles and about the Varia and everything. And of course, the main OC, Raiahu Kaiashi. :]

Thanks so much for reading, and now please review~! I'd be very happy if you did, everyone~

Have an awesome life, everyone, and please, please, triple please review!! :D


	38. Recap Insanity

Heyy, everyone, I'm back!! :D

No votes, but there are reviews! I'm so happy~! :]

Thanks, MEKI and lara gin, for your reviews! And lara gin, Soto is…adult. I haven't decided his exact age, but he is around…early twenties. Still sort of kiddish, but serious as well. He is, I repeat, _not_ an old man. That would be…shocking. To me, that is.

So please read up and review, everyone, and…Happy Reading!!

-Sorry for the…filler, if that is. It looks like one to me…-

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She sighed and thought back – everyone that was weird, everyone she met that was weird…

The first person who popped in her head, oddly, was Mukuro. Probably because he was in her dream, and was the one who 'killed' her first. He had blue hair, with a tuft of hair sticking out of his crown. His mismatched eyes, the crooked way he smiles… And how oddly 180 he was, from the first time she woke from her LOC, and to the time he presented his trident to the badly frightened Kaia. He probably was capable of killing, but he wouldn't kill her yet, like that prince.

That prince, well, Kaia doesn't know his name yet. He's never told her, anyway. He was creepy – Kaia knew he was blonde for a start. He used knives, too. He's got his attention locked on her, and Kaia's badly afraid of him – he had an air about him that told her he could do bad things without a single regret. But to do things without regret, bad things, too, that's pretty horrible for Kaia already – and that led her on in her train of thought.

It led to Hibari. He was the one who had dealt all that physical damage to Kaia. She was sure of that, but she's not sure how he would mentally ruin her. He's the President of the Disciplinary Committee – he's supposed to keep everything orderly and neat. He was one who could play around with things and get away with it in the end. And it seems that he's proven himself capable to play around with her as well. It was as if Kaia were a doll – and Hibari the one tossing her around over the fire.

That fire. Tsuna popped into Kaia's mind. The Underwear-boy. At first, he was just someone weird to Kaia; a maniac that ran around blindly in his undies, his forehead strangely aflame although not even hurting his own body. But, Kaia changed her mind. Tsuna, though being utterly useless in the field of academics, understands emotion well enough to be an expert. He couldn't rest until he made sure the hurt one was fine, and he would always know if something was bothering someone. He was, in a way, like Lambo.

Lambo's a toddler, a kid who doesn't know much about himself or his surroundings. But he does know enough to warm a heart.

And coming to the subject of Tsuna's friends, two of them especially.

Yamamoto's menacing with his sword, which is obviously something to be afraid of whenever he has it. Kaia still fears him a lot, but she's warmed up a little towards him – he's one meant to be a friend. As of the present, though, Kaia still means to keep far away from him.

Gokudera Hayato is obviously a foreigner. Soto told Kaia that he was from Italy – that's quite a distance from Japan. He's a very…tough person who can glare. Kaia can't really say much about him, since that Gokudera really doesn't like Kaia, and because they haven't really gotten to know much about each other yet.

And who else…? That long, flowing, white haired guy. He had a sword, too. There wasn't much about him to say, either.

But this information was quite enough to overwhelm Kaia in a mere week. Kaia sighed and closed her eyes, plopping back in her bed. Her heart was still racing, but she's calmed down now.

_I'm sane…am I? Am I normal? No, I'm not normal anymore… I can tell. Heh, it strangely feels so nostalgic… I'm normal, and yet I am not. I'm sane, and yet, I'm not sure if I am insane now… Yes, I'm at the point where I have to doubt myself… But, it's fine after all; I'm to die soon, by the hands of the cruel man. It's all so familiar, and yet it isn't._

Kaia laughed to herself.

_Nothing makes any sense anymore, does it? No, it doesn't… Not to me, no. I know everything that's going on, I know that, but at the same time, I don't know anything of it… It's like I only half-know it… But I do know one thing for sure – I'm part of it. No, I can't continue thinking about this. It could be dangerous to me. I know I'm going to die, I know it._

_It's time for me to enjoy life for the last time, I think._

She looked to the raging winds, the overcast clouds, the battering rain, the tremendous lightning and thunder outside. She smiled, as if reminiscing.

And in her sparkling eyes, there was, reflected from within her heart, the ghost of a dying will flame.

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Haahhh. :D

Oh yeah, Shoko-Chan, it's coming up… Some real action is coming. :D In a few days, I think, it'll begin at least in two weeks… Sorry, it's not coming that soon, but just a heads-up! It's going to be interesting… :]

Thanks everyone for reading and reviewing, and I'd like you guys to do it again!! Special thanks to everyone that reviewed, faved, and alerted my stuff and me! :D

I'm just so happy, so thanks!

Have an awesome life, everyone~!


	39. Mist Battle Introductions

Haaahhh~ The Mist Battle. :D

Lots of the quotes, if not all, are from the manga, so…copyright that. The quotes in the reality of the Mist Battle are real, and are strictly the property of Amano Akira.

Ahh, I've gotten four reviews for the last chapter!! Thanks a ton to Shoko-Chan, me_211615, The Great Pineapple MEKI, and lara gin!! Also, there were vote submissions, so I've updated the scoreboard~! Here it is:

Mukuro/Kaia: 8 [and 5 re-votes from Shin] [one of the votes are from Shoko-Chan, and she re-votes **twice**]

Mukuro/Kaia with a Hibari twist: 1 [and **3** re-votes from Shoko-Chan]

Gokudera/Kaia: 3 1/2 [and 1 1/2 re-votes from Shin] [another re-vote from Crazee4anime] [Tsunadesama89 also half-votes, but all final votes will be rounded down. Heheh.]

------------------ In a way, though, it's actually three votes…

Hibari/Haruka: 2 [and another re-vote from Shin]

Yamamoto/Chrome: 2 [and 2 re-votes from Shin] [and a re-vote from Banyou]

**Hibari/Kaia: 2**

**Belphegor/Kaia: 2**

Soto/Kaia: 1

The vote entries in bold are the pairings already slightly, if not plainly, mentioned or implied in the storyline. If I am in error, would anyone who sees the error please inform me of it? Thanks a ton, everyone! Also, these pairings will be coming in the future: Mukuro/Kaia and Gokudera/Kaia. The voters for those pairings have waited quite a few scenes, and I've a feeling they'd be coming sometime. I can probably add something for the Soto/Kaia vote, though it is quite recent. Yamamoto/Chrome would come after the Millifore Arc, I think, since it'd be hard to work it into the time before or during that arc… Sorry. For Hibari/Haruka, that would not be written in much, so there's room for imagination. Sorry for that, too.

Ahhh, about the new vote: Soto/Kaia, from lara gin!! She has asked about Soto's age, and in case anyone else wants to vote for Soto/Kaia as well, I will disclose what I know about his age. I haven't decided an absolute age, but he is definitely in his early twenties. I'm thinking that's very much like Belphegor's age, and probably Mukuro's, in a way.

And coming to mind, about the Millifore arc…that also means more fun! :D I'm planning something for Byakuran, of course, as well as the Millifore, since they can't always be shunned because they're bad guys. I'm still planning, and it's just an idea. I probably would forget anyway, until I remember again. Hehh. It's going to be fun~!!

Thanks for all the reviews, everyone, as well as the favorite-ing and the alert-ing!

Happy Reading, and please review~!

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It was Wednesday, the day of the Battle of the Mist. Soto and Jasmine brought Kaia to be scanned a third time, in the morning. Iemitsu was gone back to Italy again, by way of Reborn. Everyone was nervous – the most noted is Tsuna's little group, who have no idea who is the Guardian of the Mist.

And 'ere the Vongola gather, the Namimori gym. Laughter engulfed the gymnasium.

That is, the unheard laughter.

"It's Marmon's turn?! And to think-" Ria erupted in laughter again. Mukuro looked to his left – the girl was doubling over in her ecstasy. He sighed and focused on what's happening. The two invisible watchers were sitting in that Japanese garden again – both sat on top of Kaia's bed, watching a floating screen, slowly stretching around them into a virtual reality, as if they really were there. Ken and Chikusa entered the gym.

"AHH! That's right," exclaimed Tsuna.

"Eh- It's them," Yamamoto turned.

"It-It can't be!" growled Gokudera. "Why now?!"

"Calm down, all of you," interjected Reborn. "They've brought the Guardian of Mist with them." Gokudera whirled around angrily. Ria broke down in laughter at the sight.

"What are you saying, Reborn-san?! These guys are-" burst Gokudera, "D-Don't tell me, the Guardian of Mist is-"

"The one they brought with them is…" added Yamamoto.

"It's… It's not true…" Tsuna said to himself, "The Guardian of Mist is…is…" He paused. "Rokudo Mukuro…" Though he said it with quite a soft voice, it was clearly heard by Gokudera, Yamamoto, and Reborn. Probably others, but… Ria chuckled to herself. Mukuro cast a worried look in her direction.

"Are you okay…?" He didn't want his bait becoming something useless, which meant he had to keep a tight rein on Ria. Also meaning that he had to keep her from snapping.

"He is right," nodded Ria. "But he's half-wrong too." She paused, swiveling her head to face Mukuro. "Who knew that Chrome can laugh like you can?" Mukuro chuckled to himself.

"She can learn." The male illusionist sitting at her side shrugged. And so Ria just left it like that – she wanted to see her friend's big entrance.

"Lo nego – il mio nome e' Chrome. Chrome Dokuro. [Negative – my name is Chrome.]"

Actually, it was pretty good. Even Marmon noticed.

"It's not…Rokudo Mukuro?!" cried Tsuna. Ria frowned at him.

"Why does he always say your entire name aloud, Mukuro-san?" she looked to the one sitting next to her. Mukuro rolled his eyes.

"Like hell would I know."

"Chrome Dokuro…?" mumbled Basil.

"W-Who is this girl…?" Ryohei raised an eyebrow. Tsuna was speechless.

"An acquaintance of yours, Tsuna?" Yamamoto looked to his Boss.

"The Guardian of Mist…this girl…_isn't_ Rokudo Mukuro…?" Tsuna was confused.

"Don't be fooled, Juudaime! This girl is definitely Mukuro!" Gokudera jumped in. "She's been possessed by Mukuro! He'll do anything to get what he wants! That's the kind of guy he is!" Chrome frowned and blinked. After a moment, she replied.

"It looks like you don't believe me."

" 'Course not! Juudaime, just look at that…weapon! Aside from that, that eyepatch is hiding that-that eye!"

"But she's not…Rokudo Mukuro…" said Tsuna.

"Not?!" Gokudera spun around, caught off-guard. "Do-Do you really think so?!"

"It's not- umm… but for some reason…" Tsuna sheepishly continued.

"You spoke for me," interjected Chrome. "Thank you, Boss." She kissed Tsuna on the cheek.

I repeat:

She _kissed_ Tsuna on the cheek.

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Heh, that was fun. This time around, Ria is an observer. And that's Chrome's part, remember, everyone? :D

Well, tune in next time, and please, please review! And as enthusiastically, or much more enthusiastically, than last chapter!! Thanks a ton, all you readers and stuff!

Have an awesome life, everyone!!


	40. Getting to Know Each Other

So, I'm back for scene 40! :D

The votes are the same, so…yeah. No changes for that yet. Heh. I liked your reviews, guys~ :]

And me_211615, it actually happened. It happened in the manga and the anime, sorry, me_211615's friend. I'm just writing it as Ria and Mukuro watching. The fun part will come soon, probably next scene. So, sit tight and be patient and please review!

Happy Reading, and review-review-reivew~!!

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There was a moment of surprised sounds emitting from the group. Ria laughed again – even Mukuro muffled a small laugh.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" screamed Gokudera. Not really screamed, but you get the point. Tsuna was blushing…

"Greeting," Chrome explained simply.

"Wha-"

"Don't joke around! Get away from Juudaime!!" yelled Gokudera, struggling from Yamamoto's restraining arm.

Ria yawned and focused on the Varia side of the gym.

"And I thought we'd get some kind of old man wizard from the mountains – but it's a girl instead," remarked Bel. He smirked.

"Fantasma is getting all excited," said Marmon. "It looks like the enemy's Guardian is indeed an unusual person… Selling her off to the circus might be worth it…"

Ria frowned and looked back to Tsuna's group. The Varia were boring her to death.

"Well, what should we do? Let her join us…?" shrugged Ryohei. Gokudera scowled.

"Why should we let her join us?! Besides – we don't even know where the hell she came from!"

"Why you- You think I'm going to let that go?!" growled Ken. "Pyon." Chikusa, though silent, had his weapon in hand.

"You wanna go? Come on, then…"

"Ken, Chikusa, calm down," asserted Chrome. "This isn't something for you to decide…" She turned to Tsuna. "Boss, is it that I'm not worthy of the position as Guardian of Mist?" Ria laughed. That was Chrome…

"Eh-"

"I wish to battle as Guardian of Mist, but-but if Boss won't allow it no matter what, then I'll abide by his decision…" Chrome looked intently at Tsuna. He started to panic. Of course, he didn't know what to answer, and on top of that, if the answer was no, he had no idea how to break it to Chrome – it'd cause havoc. And if he said yes, there would still be havoc, considering Gokudera's nature…

"You're asking me to decide just like that?! It's such-such an important matter!!" blabbed Tsuna.

"However, besides Chrome, there are no others who can battle as the Guardian of Mist," said Reborn, who is currently on top of Yamamoto's shoulder.

"E-Even Reborn-san is saying things like that!" gaped Gokudera. Ria laughed. _Well, duh, didn't you notice already?!_

"Then…we'll leave it to you," Tsuna said with some confidence, once he had Reborn's reasoning supporting him if he said yes. Anyway, there was no reason to say no. Gokudera still objects Chrome, however.

"Wha- Is that really alright, Juudaime?!"

"I don't know how to put it, but it seems like it wouldn't work if it wasn't her…" Tsuna explained. It was a yes. Chrome sighed. She was safe.

"Thank you," Chrome said to her Boss.

"Told you so," Ken smugly grinned.

After that, Ria yawned and laid back down on her bed.

"It's so boring…" she closed her eyes and sat back up. "When are they going to start?!"

"Soon," mumbled Mukuro. His expression darkened. Ria looked curiously at Mukuro, but shrugged and continued watching.

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Well, that's it for now; the Mist Battle _still _didn't begin. It's all talk. It just means that they talk a load before it actually starts… Heh. And it's fun. :D

We have an idea what Ria saw anyway, so that's pretty good for evidence later. Hehehehehhh…

Well, until next time, everyone! Tune in next time, and please review!

Have an awesome life, everyone!!

PS: WOOT! Over 4000 clicks, everyone! Isn't that just awesome?! Two months…4000 clicks! That's just so awesome! Thanks so much everyone! :D


	41. Substitution

Ahh, scene 41! Already!

Thanks to everyone that read! Over 1,200 visitors already! Over 70 reviews, and more than one hundred clicks per day! I'm so proud~! xD

Lol, me_211615, the future arc will come in time. I'm sorry, but it's going to come…not until June, at least. If not, then July. I have a lot of scenes to post, and I'm not posting more than one per day; I'm stuck and I have to wait for the manga to progress a little. I'm getting all of the Millifore vs. Vongola Trinisette Battle for sure! :D

It's true – you sure need a lot of patience. But don't worry; there's a few treats in between for the pairing votes you've submitted! :]

And for the benefit of everyone, I'll disclose some information I've replied to Meki in the review reply. And some information I forgot to mention. So, this is what I tell you: the pairings will all be put into the story. No pairings will be left out, with the exception of Hibari and Haruka. I'd put a little mystery in them; nobody but I know how much Haruka knows about the mafia. And of course we all know that Hibari is involved with the mafia already. Unless I change my mind, of course. It's a long way away; it's hard to predict something I could easily change my mind to.

The votes I asked you guys to submit was to evaluate what pairings you guys wanted, how much of it, and which would be the main pairing. I'll just leave it like that then. ;D

Happy Reading, everyone, and please review! Whether you like the story or hate it, I would be happy to listen to all comments! [Of course, Lassitude, I haven't forgotten you.]

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"This time, the battlefield will be the entirety of the gymnasium. The objects in the building can be used in any way you desire," said the first woman in the pink wig and black jacket.

"Furthermore, this field has not been outfitted with any special installations. There is no need for perplexity," finished the second woman in the pink wig and black jacket.

"Ehh…there's nothing?" Tsuna's confused again; Reborn explained.

"The specialty of the Guardian of Mist means they do not need anything extra. Creating something from nothing, and nothing from something; thus bewildering the enemy. Rendering the family's true form intangible with visions of deceit. That is the role of the Guardian of Mist."

"The audience area has also been set up in a designated space within the building – as with the Battle of Storm, infrared-triggered lasers have been installed. Please be careful."

"Then, the Battle of Mist: Marmon versus Chrome Dokuro – Battle, Start!"

Chrome kicked off the battle by making the floorboards begin to float. Ria blinked dazed-ly and looked to Mukuro. He was absorbed in the events and actions taking place in the battle; it seems he is making sure Chrome is doing everything correctly. If the way she executed these skills was incorrect in any way, she could die. Therefore, he had to watch Chrome carefully, and remind her if there is anything she must watch out for, and the like.

Ria frowned. _Isn't this in a way like cheating? No, he's not saying anything right now, isn't he. Nope, not a word._

And so the battle continued – Marmon went directly for Chrome with his illusion of tentacles, and the Chrome in his grasp turned into a bunch of basketballs. Tsuna realized the origin of such tactics – Mukuro. And he was right.

"He guesses too well," frowned Ria. "That Tsuna is a really good guesser, isn't he?" She grinned again. "Marmon now equals Viper~~ Haahhh~!" Ria laughed aloud. "It's three chibi Arcobaleno, heh. Reborn, Colonello, Viper… This is getting fun~!"

And then, Tsuna's group goes about, blabbing about Viper, his stats, a ton of information about him, about how he was missing in action, and so on. Chrome's determined, though, not wavered by how Marmon really is Viper, the Indigo Arcobaleno.

"No matter who you are, I won't lose." She summoned snakes to strangle Marmon, as if in pay back for what he did with his tentacles. Tsuna guessed it again – Mukuro's state of Beasts. But Ria didn't get it – why in the world did he have to do it so dramatically?

Chrome summoned Mukuro's fire columns – however, they didn't affect Marmon. Rather, he froze the columns. This was bad – Chrome actually fell for it.

"No, Chrome, don't!" cried out Ria. She knew Chrome would hear her – Mukuro could talk to Chrome through his 'virtual microphone,' why couldn't she do so as well? "It's just an illusion!"

"She knows," assured Mukuro. He grinned. "It's just that she's one that runs out of energy rather quickly – these illusions take more out of you than you would think." He stood up. "I'll be going now – I'm assuming she'll want a switch-out sooner or later. I'll be seeing you later then…" And he disappeared. Ria looked around. Then to the screen – Chrome's legs were frozen, and the ice was slowly creeping up her knees. She was thrown through the air, landing on the ground rather painfully.

"Mmmm… It seems as though that weapon is fairly important to you," Marmon remarked, and flew in a little closer. Chrome's eyes widened in shock.

"Don't!" she cried. "_DON'T!!_"

The weapon shattered. Chrome immediately began to hack – blood came freely through her mouth. She fell back down on her back, her stomach caving in precariously. Ria's expression showed concern – but she could not do anything to help.

_Oh, Ria, but you __**can**__._

"What…?" breathed Ria. "Mukuro-san, what-"

_Only if you would lend me some power…_

"Power…?"

_Yes…_

_**You did very well, my cute little Chrome. You rest for a little while…**_

_I'm grateful Ria… Thank you._

"It's been a while. I've come back," Mukuro grinned, "from the other side of the cycle."

The Japanese garden, the lake, the trees, they all faded, and disappeared entirely.

All that was left was nothingness.

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That was interesting, wasn't it? Pretty interesting enough to me, at least. And now all blacks out. Mukuro appears. Oh, I wonder what happened. xD

Tune in next time, everyone! We're going back to check on Kaia; wonder what happened~?

Have an awesome life, everyone~!!


	42. Panic

I'm so sorry, everyone, for updating late! I'm getting rather forgetful… :D

Well, here is scene 42, everyone please enjoy!

Happy Reading, and please review!

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There was an invisible disturbance in the air. Jasmine was only half-awake, but she knew something was wrong. An imperceptible something, but it was still something. She could feel it – but first, she must check Kaia, the one who might be affected the most. Jasmine shook herself awake and stumbled to Kaia's door. She forced it open, but only to a situation she never anticipated.

It was Kaia still, unmoving, on the floor. Her eyes were open and her pupils weren't moving. Jasmine couldn't bring herself to see if they were dilated. She felt Kaia's wrist.

There was no heartbeat, no nothing. Her hand was somewhat cold, too, probably room temperature.

"Kaia!" Jasmine shook the girl, crying, begging for her to be alive. "Kaia!" She shakily ventured a hand and slapped her hard across the cheek. "Kaiashi!" But it was in vain. Nothing happened. Jasmine, despite being a doctor, plainly refused to believe that Kaia was dead – she denied the obvious signs of death and went on to try anything to wake Kaia up again. She looked around, stood up, and ran out to the kitchen, where Soto was sitting at the counter, atop a mound of papers, fast asleep.

"Soto!" panted Jasmine. "_Soto_!" She nudged his arm, and Soto woke up.

"Dude, you-" The Cloud Guardian was about to complain about how early he had to get up, but was silenced.

"It's Kaia – she's not moving, a-and I can't get to her heartbeat…"

"B-But you're a doctor!" retaliated Soto as she leaped off the stool and flew to Kaia's room, finding her still and unmoving on the ground. After a second of thought, he said, "We have to get her to the Cavallone Hospital – it's the closest one, and we have to get there fast!" Jasmine looked inquiringly at Soto.

"A-Are you sure? We can't rely completely on them!" she said, as Soto knelt down to pick up Kaia, and left the room with Jasmine in tow."Soto-"

"This is Kaia we're talking about, okay?!" burst Soto. "She can't die! If she does, then-" He sighed in frustration, clenching his teeth, holding the waterfall of emotions from washing over the real world. "I can't teach her so much, just so she would die before any of it could be used! It's a waste of my time, of your time, of Allegra's time, of Iemitsu's time, of the Vongola's time _and_ money, too! The very survival of the Vongola might hang on her shoulders!"

"But- Isn't that-"

"What if something happens to Tsuna, if he is the boss?! What if something happens to the External Advisor?! What if the Varia happen to become successors?! _What if_, Jazz, _what if there is no successor_?! What then?! If Kaia's done for, the Vongola is done for. Period, end of discussion. It doesn't matter whether it's a Cavallone or a Vongola hospital, so long as she receives good medical attention and she can be scanned." By now, both Jasmine and Soto were making their way down the staircase of the apartment complex.

Jasmine nodded meekly. But then, she raised her head, panic clearly reflected in her eyes.

"W-What Battle is today, Soto?"

"Mist, why?"

"Isn't that Rokudo Mukuro…"

The Cloud Guardian cursed to himself. _It's his doing, isn't it? But…why? How? Is it poison? _Nevertheless, he knew it was Mukuro. It was a mere feeling, but, yes, he felt it, and he believed it to be the guilty one. Jasmine shook her head.

"I'll carry her for now – you start the car."

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I'm still not really sure whether Soto said all that because it was true, or because he was covering for something. :D

Oh well, that's it for the Soto/Kaia for today! xD

Thanks to everyone that read and reviewed and alerted and fave-ed and loved this story! I will keep on updating, I'm sure of it.

Have an awesome life, everyone, and please review!! :]


	43. Bad News

Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed and read and faved and stuff! :D

I'm sorry I haven't been really updating, but I've decided to cram some in for Mukuro's special birthday~! :D

Also, I'll be telling the difference between Ria and Kaia quite soon, so stick around~! xD

Thanks to AkaMizu-chan for voting as well, so here is the updated scoreboard!

Mukuro/Kaia: 8 [and 5 re-votes from Shin] [one of the votes are from Shoko-Chan, and she re-votes **twice**]

Mukuro/Kaia with a Hibari twist: 1 [and **3** re-votes from Shoko-Chan]

Gokudera/Kaia: 3 1/2 [and 1 1/2 re-votes from Shin] [another re-vote from Crazee4anime] [Tsunadesama89 also half-votes, but all final votes will be rounded down. Heheh.]

------------------ In a way, though, it's actually three votes…Shin, Crazee4amine, and Tsunadesama89 :]

Hibari/Haruka: 2 [and another re-vote from Shin]

Yamamoto/Chrome: 2 [and 2 re-votes from Shin] [and a re-vote from Banyou]

**Hibari/Kaia: 2**

**Belphegor/Kaia: 2**

**Soto/Kaia: 1**

Again, the entries in bold have already been added into the story. And again, Mukuro/Kaia and Gokudera/Kaia will be coming soon! :D

For Yamamoto/Chrome supporters and Hibari/Haruka, it really won't be coming all that soon, so please be patient!

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"How is she?" demanded Soto. Jasmine stood as well. The hallway was completely empty aside from nurses and doctors walking about, a few chairs set up beside various hospital room doors. The particular hallway they were in was for emergency and immediate care purposes, which suited Kaia's case quite fine. The place was spotless, as the precaution on infection, virus, and additional danger was strictly enforced. A nurse was just opening the door to Kaia's room – just beyond, the two could see various equipment and other nurses and doctors tending to Kaia. That nurse was quite surprised by the abruptness of the Vongola.

The nurse averted her eyes uncomfortably.

"What is it?!" repeated Jasmine. The nurse flickered her eyes upward.

"Aren't you…a doctor as well?" she paled. "I'd have thought you would have known she's…" She looked to the ground awkwardly again, and hastily left. Soto didn't like what he heard. Rather, he was calmly panicking.

"Jasmine…" began the Cloud Guardian. She looked to Soto, whose voice was trembling. "D-Don't tell me…" Soto took a step forward, venturing a hand to the door. He turned the knob, but another nurse inside rushed to the door.

"Apologies, Vongola – we're still-"

"Dr. Opiello has information regarding her infliction, though it might not help," sighed Soto. He looked to Jasmine Opiello. "Come on, we've got to confirm her status and report back to Allegra." He looked into the room and entered. Jasmine hastily followed, and the nurse shut the door.

The room was dimmed, and only one other person sat in the room.

"You must be her doctor, correct?" Soto squinted. The person stood up and came closer, revealing his face. He was around the mid-thirties, blonde, blue eyes. He had an experienced air about him, as if he were one who saved even the doomed.

"Yes, for the time being. I am Dr. James Teimsbelau, the one of the best of the Cavallone doctors," he smiled politely. "And you are…?"

"I am known as Soto, the Vongola Cloud Guardian of the Ninth. She," Soto motioned to the younger girl behind him. "is Dr. Jasmine Opiello." The older doctor raised his eyebrow.

"You are the Vongola Cloud Guardian and the Vongola head doctor, eh?" his expression darkened. "It must be important, correct?" Soto nodded with a grim smile. The doctor sighed.

"If there is no trick up someone's sleeves, she's either gone or passed away." He looked away, then back to Soto's and Jasmine's wretched faces. "Have you ever heard of Morretti the Murdered? I believe he is a Vongola as well." Jasmine nodded, but Soto made no sign.

"Well, they say he has an ability that enables him to go into a death-like state – it's a slim chance, but we can try and see if that applies to this girl here."

Soto shook his head.

"There's no way a normal little girl like that going to be rising from the dead just like that, Dr. Teimsbelau." He looked away. "Why don't Jasmine and I help figure out the reason of death, and get everything straightened up? But right now, we've got to go break the news to everyone else, so I'll see you later…" He turned and exited the room, too grief-stricken to even glance upon the cold body of his student. Jasmine gave the leaving Soto a worried glance before turning back to the older doctor.

"Excuse Soto, Dr. Teimsbelau – she was his student, and he her tutor. I will see you later, I think, and we all will need a good night's rest to get digging tomorrow, okay?" Jasmine forced a fake, reassuring smile. "I'll see you later today then…" After a quick glance at the clock, she abruptly left, leaving the doctor in her wake.

In the room, the large metal boxes sat silent in the room, all crowded around a bed with an unmoving figure, whose face was obscured in the darkness.

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It doesn't really seem to be that good of a situation, right? Of course, doi, _not_ good.

Well, keep on reading and please review!! xD

Have an awesome life, everyone!


	44. Meeting

Well, as I said before, I'm cramming. :D

This scene is a bit longer than others, but it's fine. You really wouldn't notice. Really.

Well, Happy Reading, and please review~!! xD

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"She _couldn't_ have just died like that…" mumbled Soto. "There must be something more to it." He sighed and looked to the already sleeping Jasmine in the back seat. He envied how she could just fall asleep like that, no matter what was going on around her. But he rolled his eyes and continued driving.

The neighborhood was completely silent.

_What was Mukuro thinking? No, he wouldn't have just killed Kaia like that. He must have had a method of doing that, too. No, it's something else…_

_Wait, wasn't he planning to kill that Tsuna? But he didn't – he was probably planning to- No, that can't be, not to Kaia, no…is it?_

_I need more information…_

Soto cautiously reached to the seat beside him, grabbing at his cell phone. He blindly dialed the number again, and he held it up to his ear.

"H-Hello?"

"_Ciaossu."_

"R-Reborn-" Soto managed. "Get Iemitsu and meet me at the closest bus-stop junction to the Sawada household."

"_What's going on?"_

"I-I don't know," Soto was obviously panicking – Reborn noted this, as well as the urgency of whatever the matter was.

"_Very well then, Soto. I'll see you there in about five minutes."_

"T-Thanks," breathed Soto, before flipping the cell phone shut and tossing it hatefully back on the seat beside him.

He didn't know what they would react, but he had to break it to them. He _had_ to.

Otherwise, he probably wouldn't get anywhere taking this all by himself.

A worker wouldn't _not_ use his trusty toolbox, wouldn't he?

And it seems that Soto had found _his_ tools for the job.

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There it was – the crossroads. Soto's car slowed to a stop, and he got out. The back door opened as well, revealing a rather sleepy Jasmine. The darkness of the night was whole – the lonely streetlights, the absence of a full moon, and two silhouettes outlined in the gloom.

"What is it?" sighed Iemitsu. Soto glared hard at him, but it wasn't his fault. He doesn't know what happened. Reborn looked up to the External Advisor.

"Iemitsu, it's drastically important. I advise you listen."

"You too, Reborn." This time, the Advisor was serious. This settled Soto down a little bit.

"It's Kaia, she's confirmed to be-" Soto groaned with frustration and turned away. "S-She's confirmed to be…to be…t-to…" The Cloud Guardian stumble-walked into the wall, shoulder-ramming it in suppressed anger, regret, and guilt. "**She's dead now, goddammit!**" His heavy breaths can be heard now, and he slid to the ground.

"How the _hell_ could that happen to her?!" groaned Soto. He looked up, analyzing the reactions of Sawada Iemitsu and Reborn.

Reborn's fedora shielded his face – he was grim. Iemitsu grinded his teeth.

"It could be a rival family," said the External Advisor. "They would have caught wind of it; they would have found ways to get to her. I'll have to either just abandon the post to nobody, or have Tsuna choose – if he survives the Ring Battles." He clenched his fist. "This isn't a good sign." Reborn looked at Iemitsu.

"I'm amazed at your self-control, Iemitsu," remarked Reborn. "This news is probably as devastating as if someone would have come and told you the news of your son's death."

"No," Jasmine said, getting back to the subject. "It isn't a rival family, I know that for a fact. Otherwise, it would be up in the headlines by now. It must be Mukuro." She narrowed her eyes. "Nobody else can do such a thing, and I've heard he's made himself a reality for the Mist Battle, hasn't he? Where exactly did he get that strength? Where exactly did he find the power to stay in reality, thousands of miles away from where he really is? He would have been hitting two birds with one stone, wouldn't it?"

"It's true," nodded Reborn. "He _has_ become reality in the Mist Battle – but the power to do that, after Chrome has already lost her strength? That isn't possible unless he has a hidden power supply." Soto looked to Jasmine, blinking. They had been on the same hunch all along. "Soto, does…does Kaia know how to handle Dying Will?"

"Handle as in how?" Soto looked up ominously. Reborn frowned.

"Control. Can she?"

"I don't know, otherwise, she would have gotten rid of…_that_ problem long ago."

"How strong is it?" asked Iemitsu. Soto looked into the darkness.

"I don't know exactly." He shook his head. Jasmine was silent.

"But if it's strong, then-"

"She couldn't control it – which meant she couldn't call up its full potential, if– _only if_, it's stronger than what I've seen." Soto remained silent, and then said, "Do Tsuna and his Guardians know about Kaia's-"

"No," confirmed Reborn. Iemitsu shook his head in agreement. Soto breathed a sigh of half-released-relief.

"Then we wouldn't have to worry about telling them of the effects of it."

"No," Jasmine said. "She might not be dead-"

"Jazz – you're a _doctor_. You should know the signs of death." Soto's eyes glinted in the half-moon-light. "Then we will say she is gone, vanished, not here anymore. We just have to navigate through the events to come by ourselves." A tree nearby stirred, its whisper floating into the night.

"Soto, I know you're-" began Reborn. Soto cut him off irritably.

"Shut it. We're being eavesdropped," he hissed. He turned his head to face the tree, and the tree shivered once more. The group fell silent, but a bird emerged from the tree and flew away into the night. Soto grimaced. "We were lucky we didn't voice the more important information, but even with this information, we're in danger. I'll hunt that bird down."

"No, don't- Soto!" Jasmine stopped Soto as he stood up and began to walk in the direction of the bird. "It could be a perfectly normal bird, and it c-could have been unable to sleep or something – we _haven't_ been eavesdropped!"

"That's what normal people assume," he shook off Jasmine's hand and disappeared into the night. Jasmine looked back to Soto with concern displayed on her face.

"Let's just hope he doesn't meet his student's fate," Reborn said. Jasmine turned. "We should retire now. I have to get up early to get Tsuna training. 'Night…" He left as well, and Iemitsu nodded good night to Jasmine, before following the Arcobaleno back in the direction of the Sawada household. Jasmine looked around with a frown, got back into the car, and looked around for the keys. Luckily, she found them. Jasmine hopped into the driver's seat, started the car, and drove back to Kaia's apartment.

The faint chirping of a bird grew farther and farther away as Jasmine drove away from the crossroads.

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Nice. I'll be updating a few more times today, so please keep on reviewing and reading! :D

Thanks, everyone!

Have an awesome day, everyone~!


	45. The News Spread

Well, here's scene 45~! :D

Again, a few more updates for today! –to cram-

Keep on reading, everyone! And review, please!

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Hibari yawned. He was sitting comfortably on the school roof, taking everything in for the millionth time. He looked around as Hibird came stumbling to his side and chirped. Hibari raised an eyebrow. His pet was mauled by something that looked like claws…

It probably had its first encounter with a cat, perhaps.

The bird chirped a few more times, and climbed up to Hibari's shoulder, chirping affectionately.

"Did you?" Hibari raised an eyebrow and picked up the bird, detaching the small microphone from its leg. He smiled to himself, pleased with the information he had in that little chip in that microphone. Hibird chirped again, and, with it perched on his shoulder, Hibari calmly walked inside to the Reception Room to extract the information the chip contained.

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The computer's screen flickered on, and Hibari inserted the chip in the dock. A program popped open, and as Hibari was all too familiar with this hacking device, he immediately set to work. It wasn't long until he had extracted the information and de-coded it. He pressed the "Open" button, and the voice recording began to play.

"Kaia……t-Sh-sh… dead… goddammit!…rin-ring…lem-em…dea-de…sume-a-assume…" The rest of the recording was all fuzzy and static. Hibari figured it was because it was damaged when Hibird was being mauled by that cat… But he did know one thing – something was up about Kaia and death.

_Could she be dead? Could that carnivore…?_

The President of the Disciplinary Committee smiled crazily to himself.

_No…would it be?_

He frowned. He had gotten a packet of papers he didn't even glance at some time ago at the beginning of the school day. Something about…

Hibari dived to the stack of papers on his desk, flipping through them like a maniac. Then, he pulled out one of them, and it read:

"Raiahu Kaiashi – request: will not be attending Namimori Middle for an undetermined number of days."

He paused. It was certainly suspicious, of course. It was a copy of something from the principal early that morning. He frowned, and marched out to demand from the principal what it was all about and who had requested this skipping of school.

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"Reborn – how's Kaia?" frowned Tsuna, just leaving the hospital, flanked by Yamamoto and Gokudera.

"She's probably fine," snarled Gokudera. "She's not worth being so fussed over – she's too normal to be in anything even close to dangerous."

"Kaia hasn't been coming to school much," noted Yamamoto. "She's only gone for two days the past week since she came."

"And then there's Hibari's battle today," blinked Tsuna. "I hope he isn't going to lose…" He sighed. "Even if he _is_ that strong, what if…"

"Like that's going to happen!" Gokudera beamed. "Hibari isn't going to lose – you heard what Dino-san said!" Tsuna cheered up a little, but Reborn snapped them back to reality.

"Tsuna, you have to complete your training _today_, like I told you."

"Oh yeah – Gokudera, Yamamoto, I'll see you guys later then," Tsuna gave his two Guardians a small parting smile and followed Reborn in another direction, to continue training.

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Ahh. Hibari finds out. Hehhhhh. :D

Tune in for next scene, everyone, and sit tight~!

Have an awesome week, everyone!


	46. Cloud Battle

Cloud Battle. :D

Well, it's been quite a few updates today, and now I don't have that much to say… Oh well.

Happy Reading, everyone, and please review!

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It was late – _he_ was late. Soto had to watch the Cloud Battle.

He couldn't _not_ at least care of the welfare of Tsuna's group, of course, after Kaia's death. He had just arrived to Namimori, just came into view of the destruction and the field, had he seen a flare of orange dying will flame.

It was Tsuna, defeating the Gola Mosca. Soto paled, but remained hiding.

Though it was his Boss out there like that, he couldn't come out – it was forbidden for any others to know he was here, even if he was to die.

And even if he came out, he'd be defenseless. He didn't have his weapon with him, due to how hurriedly he dashed out to catch some of the battle. He cursed himself to be so clumsy and stupid. But there was no going back anyway – at least Reborn was there as well.

"Eh…this person…the Ninth Boss?!" exclaimed Tsuna.

"How…why is he here?" questioned Basil, absolutely confused. Reborn leaped forward with a first-aid box, though Soto was sure Reborn knew that that injury couldn't be treated with a mere first-aid kit.

"What…what's going on?!" mumbled Tsuna. "Ehh…why…why is he inside Mosca…?"

"Hang in there!" Reborn called. He fell silent, but explained. "Che…I've seen Mosca's construction only once…it looks like the Ninth…was…forced to be Gola Mosca's power source." Soto nodded to himself. It was true – the first prototype in Italy was the one they saw.

All of them were there – the old Guardians, and Soto himself, as a young but talented apprentice to the then Cloud Guardian of the Ninth.

"Power source?!" repeated Gokudera.

"How could they?!" said Basil.

"W-Why?" blurted Tsuna. But he was interrupted.

"It's not 'why', is it!" smirked Xanxus. "You've gone and killed the Ninth." He was on the verge of complete break-down of laughing, Soto was sure of that.

_Son of the Ninth, my a**._

"Me…I did this…?" realized Tsuna. He looked down to the Ninth's face.

"This looks bad; it's not something that can be treated with a first-aid box," announced Reborn. The Cloud Guardian, hidden from view, cursed. How could the Arcobaleno choose such a time to say such a thing? How could he choose this particular time to stop that delay? _Reborn, you…_

"Who was it?" continued Xanxus. "Who struck down the old man with no mercy whatsoever?"

"Who was it? Who split Mosca in half with the old man inside?" Soto winced. That Xanxus is going to ruin the Vongola, surely he will. But Reborn, he wasn't that stupid. He should speak up.

Why was the Ninth in the Mosca in the first place? Why was Mosca with the Varia anyway?

And why are you smiling if that's your "father" that's dead on the ground, Xanxus?

Soto sighed. He wasn't supposed to be criticizing anyone out there – he should get out there and stop everything, set everything to rights. But he doesn't. He knows all too well that this could lead to something nasty, but it would have to have at least a survivor with the real story. Otherwise, the Vongola would no longer be the dominating family in the mafia.

"N-No way…" breathed Tsuna. "Me…it was _me_…I k-killed the Ninth…"

_Like you could do that, Sawada Tsunayoshi. You're only inexperienced enough to __**be**__ killed._

"No…"

Soto blinked.

_What was that voice… Ninth? Ah, Timeteo… It's him… Thank goodness, he's alive…_

"The one at fault…was me."

"N-Ninth!" burst Tsuna.

"We finally meet, young Sawada Tsunayoshi…" sighed the Boss. "I'm sorry… All of this happened because of my own weakness…my weakness that-that allowed Xanxus to awake from his long slumber…" Soto mentally jumped.

_What… he was bold enough to even say that? He probably thinks he's at his end… But I can't blame him; he's far from healthy in that state._

"What do you mean, sleep? After the Cradle Affair, Xanxus was cast out of the family and kept under surveillance by the Vongola, wasn't he?" Reborn raised an eyebrow.

"The Cradle Affair…?" Tsuna hadn't a clue what it was, and Reborn continued to explain once more.

"The largest coup d'etat in Vongola history. Because the rebel army was led by Xanxus, the Ninth's son, this terrible truth was treated with utmost secrecy. The only ones who know the truth are the Family's upper echelon, and the Vongola's highest elite who fought in that battle… Xanxus was…stopped…there, eight years ago…since then, he'd been asleep, while his hatred and his grudge grew to frightening proportions…"

Soto's expression darkened.

_The Cradle Affair, yes, I remember. That was when Timeteo had stripped us of our rings; first to re-awaken Xanxus out of pure pity, despite the years of enduring pitiful begging of criminals of the family, and second to secure them for the next generation – which I correctly guessed would include Xanxus._

_Screw Xanxus, the bastard son of a peasant's family, who by luck and chance could conjure up the Flame of Wrath. Screw him and the Varia - because of him, they're Vongola though they really don't deserve it. They wouldn't be so traitorous if Xanxus didn't come along…_

"Ehhh?! What- What do you mean?" cried Tsuna.

"What really happened…" answered Reborn. The Ninth suddenly coughed a few times, coughing up blood. Soto stiffened at the sight, and looked away. He could not bear the sight of his kind-hearted Boss in such a situation.

"A-Are you alright?" said Tsuna; he was concerned to an extent that even Soto didn't know. Of course, if the Ninth had died, Tsuna would've been in very, very deep trouble, and Xanxus would be the Tenth. "Please hang in there!"

"Tsunayoshi-"

"Please take it easy!"

_Please? _Soto smiled to himself. Tsuna never loses his manners…

"I've always…I've always been hearing news…about you…from Reborn…about the girl you like and…and about your school…and your friends… You, a child with a heart like that… are really mismatched for a mafia boss… I also know that up to now, you have never fought in a battle willingly. You always have these lines between your eyebrows…and clenched fists as if praying… And that is why I…choose you to be the Vongola Tenth."

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Well, it's the Cloud Battle today! In the story, of course. Anyway, a few more updates left to do! :D

Thanks to everyone who keeps on reading Wasted Life! xD

Have an awesome month, everyone~! :]


	47. Xanxus's Plan

Well, scene 47 already today! ;D

I'll keep cramming until scene 49 for today, so I can catch Mukuro's birthday, which will be coming up, if I'm not mistaken. If I am, oh well. More for the readers to read. :D And more reviews, too. Heh.

Keep on reading, and please review!!

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Soto breathed a sigh of relief. The Ninth was going to make it through – he's not going to die just yet.

"I'm sorry…" repeated the Boss. "But I'm glad…it's you…" He fell unconscious – at least Soto knew that. He knew that the Ninth will survive – Reborn hadn't been with the Ninth for around a year already, and he probably doesn't know what the Boss has been doing to keep himself able to fight.

"No, don't- please, wait! Ninth…Ninth!!" cried Tsuna.

"How dare you kill the Ninth!" snarled Xanxus. Soto glared at the Varia leader. He was still going on with the lie – only if Reborn had known…

"The despicable way you struck down the Ninth is a challenge against his own son, Xanxus, as well as the noble Vongola spirit!" proclaimed Xanxus with a wide grin. Soto just sighed at the utter failure Xanxus had scored at acting. But how shocked everyone was, nobody seemed to notice.

"W-What…?!" Tsuna looked back to Xanxus.

"There's no need for investigation!" said Xanxus. The watching Cloud Guardian rolled his eyes. _No need for investigation, yeah right. Tsuna isn't even strong enough to kill anything close to a human!_

"The burns on the Ninth's chest are the undeniable evidence!" _Burns? He could have hit himself with a burning pot and gotten the same burns, idiot! Jeez, talk about non-sense…_

"Now that the Boss has been murdered, the Ring Contest Battle is meaningless!!" _The Ring Battles are supposed to prove which Boss and Guardians are worthy – if we don't have that, how do we choose? Vote? Yeah right – people will vote out of fear rather than judgment._

"For the Boss, my father, and for the future of the Vongola-" _What future, Xanxus? If you ascend as Tenth, you're going to __**have**__ no future!_

"I will kill you as vengeance."

"W-What?! What the hell did you say?! He wants to _what_ the Ninth?!" Gokudera responded.

"So, this is what he'd aimed for…" grimaced Reborn. "if he only won the Ring Contest Battle and became the next Boss, those who knew of the Cradle Affair would object to his succession, and would continue to oppose him. But, if he trapped Tsuna into the role of the villain, and attacked the Ninth's enemy in a battle of revenge, that's a different matter. He would gain absolute trust from the majority of the family. Besides, if he could prove himself stronger than Tsuna, who was supposed to be the Tenth, it would further the proof that he was the _true_ heir. In that case, he would easily eliminate anyone who opposed him."

"Then Xanxus is planning to become the Boss and establish a dictatorship at the same time?!" exclaimed Basil.

"Yes," confirmed Reborn. "It was a well laid out trap. Mosca was supposed to kill all of Tsuna's Guardians in an accident. When that happened, he knew that sooner or later, Tsuna would come and take it down."

"H-How could he…f-for…for something like that…?!" Tsuna said to nobody in particular.

"Please refrain from speaking such wild conjectures out loud, Reborn. We will officially record everything that is spoken." Soto didn't like the Cervello at all – he knew Italian well enough to know that cervello meant brain. They were planning something – something that just might be related to destruction.

Tche. **Obviously**…

"Those guys…" mumbled Yamamoto.

"I knew it!" burst Gokudera. "The Cervello are on Xanxus's side!!"

"Do whatever you want – my patience has run out," frowned Reborn. "But, I will honor my promise to the Ninth and not interfere…with my student's battles, that is. Having said that, I don't know what my student, who hates fighting, will do…"

Tsuna stood up. It was time he stood for himself – not for people to hold him up anymore. He looked hard at his competitor.

"Xanxus," he began. "I will take that ring back. You will not follow in the Ninth's footsteps."

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Well, Tsuna gets the last say again. :D

Keep on reviewing and everything, people!

Have an awesome year, and please review~!! :]


	48. Sky Arrangement

Yes, I'm back again! xD

More updates~ Next scene will be the last for today, and I want you readers to all review, please!! :D

Oh well, just keep on reading at least? Thanks~!

Cloud Battle ends today.

Happy Reading, everyone!

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Reborn nodded, after a pause.

"Well said, Tsuna."

"I'll carve your name into the Vongola's history books," cackled Xanxus, "as the foolish runt who dared to defy Xanxus all by his little self."

"He's not alone."

Xanxus whipped around.

"The Boss's will is our will!" snarled Gokudera.

"My will is my own," Hibari silently corrected.

"You want some of this, you brats?!" growled Levi.

"How about it?" teased Belphegor. He grinned.

"Exterminate the traitors," ordered Xanxus.

"Hold it right there, please!" called the Cervello. "_We _will be in charge of the battle for the Ninth's revenge." Soto rolled his eyes. That just sounded _so_ ridiculous. The Cervello don't even _care_.

"What-"

"We have a duty to oversee the whereabouts of the Vongola Rings," continued the women.

"What the hell are you talking about?! You're all Xanxus's bi***es!!" accused Gokudera.

"Please watch your mouth," said the Cervello. Soto snickered again – it sounded awkward again. "We have an official decree from the Ninth himself." The document was presented, and Soto's grin disappeared. That was definitely _not_ the Ninth's dying will flame. His **honest** dying will flame is different. Though it's difficult to tell, it's _just different_, no questions.

"Any changing-of-hands of the rings will not be approved without our ratification."

"You've got some nerve!" yelled Basil. "You _forced_ the Ninth to give you that dying-will flame seal against his will!" Xanxus grinned.

"The winner of this next Battle will become the next Vongola Boss, so… We declare this the Sky Ring Battle. In other words, this will be the last of the seven ring contest battles held over the past week. How does that sound, Xanxus?" finished the Cervello. The Varia leader grinned.

"Not a bad idea…"

"Then tomorrow night, will everyone please assemble at Nami-chuu?"

Belphegor was the first to speak.

"Ohohohohoho~~ The fake got suspended from his sentence for now~"

"What- Watch it, a**-hole!" growled Gokudera. A restraining hand rested on his shoulder. It was Yamamoto.

"Tsuna is exhausted from his training today," said Reborn. "That's good news for us."

"Pffft…" chuckled Xanxus. "Tomorrow will be the final chapter in this happy comedy… Make sure you're up for it." He flung half of the Vongola Sky Ring to Tsuna. And with that, there appeared a bright light, and the Varia and the Cervello all disappeared.

"They're gone…" noted Ryohei. "The ladies too!" Soto frowned. _Even if you don't like them, they have a name, you know…_

"N-Ninth!!" Basil ran up to the Boss.

"Are we too late?" came a voice from behind. It was the Bucking Horse, Dino. He rapidly analyzed the situation and ordered his men to tend to the injured Ninth.

"I received news from the CEDEF team…I never thought it would come to this…Are you alright?" panted Dino.

"The damage we received was quite substantial…but…" Reborn shook his head.

"Are you okay Hibari?" asked Yamamoto.

"It's so unusual for Hibari to be so restrained…" noted Gokudera. Hibari glared at them, and the two reflexively cringed a little away.

"If this situation can draw out that herbivore's true strength, I won't interfere just yet."

Soto looked to Tsuna.

_What a time to be so dramatic, Tsuna…_

He laughed – he was always the best one out of the Ninth's guardians to read emotions.

_And here comes Reborn…_

"We're going home," Reborn said in a controlled voice as the baby launched his entire body into a kick to Tsuna's back. The teenager fell stupidly/awkwardly down onto the ground. Soto grinned. "You better get yourself properly re-charged for tomorrow's fight."

"WHY DO YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO KICK ME?!" cried Tsuna.

"Because I'm really vexed right now," Reborn answered in a matter-of-fact voice.

"What kind of reason is that?!" sweat-dropped the poor teenager.

Though it probably doesn't fit, Dino cracked a hopeful smile. Soto did as well – he had nothing more to worry about. He slipped away silently, unseen, unheard, unnoticed.

Unless he had noticed a faint crimson glow floating about in the obscure corners of the scene, that is.

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"It's the day of the Sky Battle," said Reborn. "Aren't you coming to watch?"

"No," answered Soto. He was still down. "I'm going to check on the Ninth – he'll probably have something to say, and I'll also have to call Allegra…" He clenched his teeth. "I wouldn't bear watching the battle at close proximities."

"Very well," frowned Reborn, and he hung up. Soto frowned.

He hadn't a clue what the Vongola are going to do with this apartment, now that Kaia's gone. Everything was still there – like it was when Kaia was still there. Soto regretted everything he did to Kaia. About the intensive training that occupied her for years, about how hard he would push her, how he wouldn't allow her to relax and have fun. He missed her smile – she was a perfectly normal kid, and he had to go and change all that.

She was perfect, a perfect angel.

But she's gone now. There's no use to talk about what would have been anymore.

She just isn't here anymore.

Soto sighed and left to visit his Boss.

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Oh yeah, remember the time Jasmine, Dino, and Soto were in that room while Kaia was being brain-scanned? I noticed something weird. :D

About everything Soto said Kaia liked and didn't like, it seems he brought her to an amusement park before… :]

I'll leave you readers to guess which.

Have an awesome hour, everyone~! xD


	49. Sky Battle Begins

Heh. I really, really like this scene, and I hope you readers like it, too. :D

Happy reading, everyone!

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The sound of voices drifted to a hidden, dark niche among vegetation in the school. The silhouetted trees stood perfectly still as they obscured the figure behind them.

"In that case…we will now explain the rules of the Sky Battle. The Sky Battle will be similar to the other Guardain's Battles. One of the conditions for victory is to join the two halves of the ring. However, the Battlefield will be the entire school…In order to watch such a wide battlefield, we have installed large-screen displays at the observation box as well as various other locations. Also, the Guardians will be using these wristbands installed with a camera-equipped monitor. So then would all the Guardians please put on your wristbands, then make your way to the respective fields of your own battles."

A grin played upon the lips of a shadowed face.

"Looks like everyone arrived at their battle fields. We've set up a pole at each of the Battlefields. The top of each pole contains the ring of the same type," the Cervello said.

"Wha- the ring… Don't tell me we're scrambling for them again?!" growled Gokudera's voice.

"In other words, we'll be fighting too?" grinned the prince's voice.

"You are all free to do so – that is, if you're able to," rang the voice of one of the Cervello.

Where the shadowed form of a person once stood, there was no-one.

"Just then, all the Guardians were injected with a poison administered from their wristbands," explained the Cervello girls. "This poison is called the Death Heater. Once administered, it will paralyze the victim's nerves instantly – even standing up will prove difficult. A burning pain will spread throughout the body, gradually increasing, until thirty minutes later…the victim will die."

The leaves on the ground danced in the slight breeze.

"In this battle, the lives of all the Guardians are entrusted in the hands of the Boss," continued the Cervello. "There is only one way to stop the progression of the poison. That is to insert the matching ring into each Guardian's wristband. Once the ring is inserted into the indentation, it will activate the mechanism to administer the death heater's antidote stored in the wristband."

_No._

_There is no antidote, baka Cervello._

_That antidote is merely a flame steroid without the harmful chemicals._

_It only does the work half-way._

_Only if you have a dying will would you revive, baka, baka, baka…_

_And you said you wouldn't be the cause of any deaths in the scramble?_

A sigh mixed with the wind, reviving the dead leaves sleeping on the earth.

"One last thing – once the battle has started, any outside interference from non-participating personnel is forbidden. That includes any special bullets." The last comment was obviously directed to Reborn. The Arcobaleno apparently acknowledged the rule, as the first move had been made.

The destruction of concrete, the sound of falling rocks echoed throughout the school. The abrupt gunshot rang in the air.

The heat of the Flame of Wrath, the throbbing of the Dying Will Flame…

The loud, and, yet, silent and soft, sound of fire crackling…The sonic boom…

They all echoed in the ears of the shadowed figure, sitting against the trunk of a tree watching the events unfold in the Sky Battle.

A grin appeared on the face's lips.

That sound of the meeting between the Flame of Wrath, and the Flame of Dying Will…

The explosion…

The vibrating, throbbing, sound as if an earthquake were to strike…

And the high-frequency screams of a flame-gun…

The figure wasn't there anymore – the hidden niche was empty, as the wind played with the trees, the bushes, luring out leaves to dance in the grass.

All was calm, all was nothing, and 'ere we take our leave.

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Heh. I wonder who it is. Probably Soto, sneaking in. He's pretty knowledgeable about these things. :D

Or not Soto. Jasmine? Allegra? Well, tune in next time! I promise I might tell you who it is! xD

Oh well, have an awesome life, everyone, and please review!


	50. Blind Escape

Ahhh. Scene 50 already! I'm amazed at how many reviews there are! 88! :D

And for everyone who guessed, I'm thinking the guesses are all very good. And since I don't really want to make you guys unhappy by saying someone that wouldn't really make sense or anything, it's actually Ria. You'll learn why in a bit. ;D

At first, I decided it to be Mukuro (You'll learn why in a bit as well. :D), but looking back, he wouldn't really talk like that, and he usually would have thrown that Kufufufufu thing in. :D

Or it would have been Soto, but he left. He might have snuck back in, too, but… Heh. He's a pretty loyal guy.

Definitely not Jasmine, I think. Jasmine wouldn't call the Cevello big idiots. Allegra, well she could have flown in secretly, but it would take a long time to fly in. And she'd have to find a place to stay in, you know? But oh well about that; just get it in your head that it's Ria. Good job, everyone!

Yeah, I can't just go an kill my main OC, right? Thought so. :]

I already feel so sorry for her, too, so I'm sort of working on a 'repayment' thing for her. Have a little fun, you know, after the Varia Arc. Sorry to those who were itching to read of the story in the Future/Millifore Arc. That will be coming after. :D

Well, this must be the end of all that author's note text junk. Heh. Happy Reading, everyone, and please review~!

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The soft, undetected footfalls were heard first. Then, a shy tuft of brown hair. The kind, comforting, yet confused and frightened eyes emerged from the shielding branches. The entire person gingerly stepped out into view, but apparently not in the view of any camera aimed at her.

She stepped into a scene of wreckage, smoking from the malfunction of machinery. Poles of metal were fallen, its roots that had been dug into the earth separated from the long shafts of metal. Her eyes flickered fearfully from one place to another, taking in everything. But it was dark, and she couldn't see much. What did, however, catch her eye, had been a…some sort of watch. The girl picked it up, examining the thing carefully.

It was white, no wonder she saw it. It had a fizzy screen on the front, where the clock was supposed to be. And on the other side, where the buckle is, there's an arrow and a button. However, she didn't notice it, and fumbled a little more. But after a few seconds, she decided to look at it later, and walked on to investigate further.

There was a building up ahead – the girl hurried inside, looking around. It was a school, with classrooms, desks, bathrooms, lockers… However she saw no-one, and continued to climb up the staircases, slowly making her way up to the highest floor – the third floor. But it was weird. She suddenly came to a part of the building where the wall was completely blown away, and ashes dotted the floor. She approached the edge of the floor to try and see if anyone was down there.

But she suddenly stopped.

A wave of sheer cold swept through her.

And then – the unbearable pain…

She kneeled down; her eyesight blurred, her knees like rubber, her legs refusing to move. She tried to inch her way farther from the edge of the floor, but she was too close…

A blur fell from the third story to the bushes below, and the girl was unconscious behind the bushes, still out of sight.

"You are…" grinned the prince.

"You dodged that pretty well. You are…" Hibari raised an eyebrow. "The so-called genius?" He frowned. "Shall we begin, little _genius_?" In a way, he forgot to mention the last bit – _that is, for your death…_

"Ohhh~ I know you too – you're that ace, aren't you?" smirked Bel.

"Wrong; you didn't even get one syllable right," answered Hibari.

"Ushi-shi-shi-shi… What a weird fellow… But somehow, I think I'm going to enjoy this~~" A ring of knives unraveled around him, seemingly floating in midair.

"Hmm… You do acrobatics too? Shall I give you a handicap on account of your leg injury?" Hibari's eyes glinted maliciously, as if there was a type of revenge behind it…

"No need," Belphegor shrugged and gave Hibari that impossibly wide, idiotic, signature grin. "After all, you're dragging your leg too, aren't you~?"

They both charged, and passed each other. Belphegor immediately had all his knives face outwards.

"There's no point in attacking with so many," remarked Hibari. The first surge of knives came, and he easily deflected it. But in his surprise, though none of the knives hit him, his face suddenly cut and began to bleed. He moved away, but Bel already sent the second surge of knives. They missed, however Hibari moved in another direction, and his shoulder was cut and bleeding. He backed away from that place a little bit as well.

He dropped his tonfas, and he fell to a sitting position on the ground, giving off rather obvious signs of defeat.

"Ushi-shi-shi-shii~~ And the genius wins~! Then again, I don't lose, do I? Because I'm a prince, of course~!" smirked the Prince. "Bai-biii~" And he sent the third surge of knives, aimed exactly for Hibari.

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Interesting~ :D

It's the Ring Battles' Conclusion Battle! The Sky Battle! And I can guess who came too, right? Yeah, just to make things a little more exciting, I think. I'm betting the Ring Battle will get really interesting, especially with so many people that would either like to kill her, keep her for themselves, or just plain kick her out of the way so she wouldn't get hurt.

I guess you can also figure out what happened to her, right? Heh. She came to the wreck that used to be the place where the Cloud Battle was staged, after Hibari wrecked it. After, she went into the school, of course, and came to the place of the Storm Battle. Then, she fell down three stories, which is about thirty feet, behind the bushes and out of sight as Hibari and Belphegor were fighting. Interesting. I wonder who's going to find her…? :D

*laughs* Well, stay tuned and find out~!

Have an awesome life, everyone, and please review! Love you all!!


	51. Discovered

Heh, this will be today's update! Next update is special for Mukuro [but no, it's not an omake. :D]!

Thanks to MEKI for reviewing, and as well as everyone who read! xD

Happy Reading, and please review~! ^^

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But at the last second, at the right timing, the knives appeared in Hibari's hands, held up before his face.

He had caught them. He lowered his hands and examined them.

"Hmm. I see how it is… these threads are tied to the knives. This is just like the kind of wits used by weak animals in order to survive."

Bel frowned at the comparison.

"In that case," sighed Hibari. He picked up his tonfas and gave them a jerk. Pendulums came down, attached to his weapons by a chain. They began to swing, then to fly in a circle – it was a ring of destruction to the knives and the network of wires. "I just have to knock every single one of them down."

"Uh-oh…" mumbled the Prince. He grinned sheepishly.

"Are you ready?" Hibari lunged for Bel again, endeavoring to injure him a little more.

"Wait- I pass~" the Varia member leaped safely out of the President's range. "I pass again… I don't mind bleeding my own blood to get to my serious mode, but… this isn't the time or place for reminiscence. This is a group battle, you know? I'm going off to get the other rings. Anyway, just dealing that much damage is enough to consider it my victory. Bai-biii~!"

And Prince the Ripper took leave of Hibari, but never forgetting to send him a farewell-present – another surge of knives.

The President easily deflected these with his flying pendulums. Bel was out of sight, and Hibari stopped swinging them around; it would be a waste of energy otherwise.

"All that talk for nothing…" he growled. Hibari was already doing a great job at hiding his pain – as soon as that stupid camera isn't there looking at him anymore, he would rest for a bit, fix himself back up. He leaned on the school building's wall, looking up into the skies.

Tsuna was still in the air, battling Xanxus. In a way, it looked like a dance or something, a waltz. The dance of fire, probably.

He looked away. That herbivore wouldn't be even worth his time unless he at least defeated that King of Monkeys of Monkeyland, aka Xanxus. Right now, he had to focus on whatever that thing was that fell from the third floor. But he shook his head.

No, it probably wasn't anything interesting. He set off in the other direction, intent of having Yamamoto dying someplace else.

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"Give me a break…" groaned Yamamoto, though he still had his smile. "The wound is bleeding again- Who's there?!" He abruptly looked up, sensing the approach of someone. "Gokudera!"

"Yamamoto!" called Gokudera. "You alright, too?"

"Yeah…Hibari didn't want people dying on the school grounds, so he came to save me."

"What, you too?! That guy wants us to owe him… I wonder what he's up to? It just doesn't feel right…" Gokudera scowled but Yamamoto switched the subject.

"Well, he looks like he'd been beaten up pretty bad, from the way he was moving…"

"Hibari…?!" gaped Gokudera. He couldn't believe that such a strong person could be even _beaten up like that_…

"He let me hold on to the ring," Yamamoto presented the Cloud Ring. "So, who else hasn't been saved yet?"

"Lawn-head and stupid cow are both safe," said Gokudera, holding up both Thunder and Sun Rings.

"So that means that the only one is…"

"The mist, yeah."

"Oh- that girl!"

"In the gym!"

Both looked towards the gymnasium and rushed at full speed to the door, flung it open, and entered.

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_Pant…_

_Pant…_

_What…is…this-this…_

_Heat…?_

_Pant…_

_It's hot…burning…_

"Ushi-shi-shi-shi…what's this~?"

_There's someone coming…what-_

A shadow flitted across the girl's face. She squinted.

"You look familiar," grinned the Cheshire smile. "Can you guess who I am~?" The figure kneeled beside the bush, behind which she laid.

_Pant…pant…_

_Who…_

"Bel…" the girl barely whispered. She burst into a fit of coughs, and paled a bit. The grin faltered a bit.

"I swear I've never told you my name…" but the grin returned. "I'm just famous, am I now…? Ushi-shi-shi, the Prince is famous~!"

"S-Shu-ut…up…" the girl said through clenched teeth, her cheeks furiously blushing from the poison. She shut her eyes and tried to blot out the annoying prince kneeling by her side. Bel's expression darkened.

"Lookie, lookie here, does Kaia-chan want to be a cactus of needles?" he beamed at her as he pulled out a handful of knives.

"Who…said…I…was…Kaia?!" growled the girl, flinching. A shimmer flashed in the darkness, and out of nowhere, a curved needle hit Bel in the knee.

"Ow…" flinched Belphegor. "What was that, principessa…?" he looked back down to where Kaia was, but saw nothing.

"For times like these, Prince the Ripper, I'd rather use thinner knives, you think so too?"

The girl was already standing on the pathway a number of meters away fingering a few oddly-shaped things. Bel looked up curiously.

"I'd rather not kill you, anyway, and these are for training," grinned she, as she sent the four crescents in Belphegor's direction, before disappearing. The prince leaped a little bit backwards, to avoid getting hit by them.

They all struck the ground in one place, even though she had scattered them in random directions.

"We should be getting to the Boss," pressed Marmon as he just arrived.

"Tche, Marmon, I was just waiting for you~!"

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The part in the middle is for marking the time. So we know how far the battle had advanced so far. The first part was the conclusion of the battle between Belphegor and Hibari, the second when Gokudera and Yamamoto set off to find Chrome, and the third after Bel and Mammon leave the gym to find the Boss and get the rings onto that weird chain thingy-ma-bobber. And all that good stuff after comes later. After this update. The next one, yeah.

Well, thanks for reading, and please tune in for the next one!

Have an awesome life, everyone!


	52. Wings of Dying Will

Ahh. Scene 52, Mukuro's little present for his birthday. :D

His part here is really small [the beginning of the scene and his mention by Mammon] but it's going to be a gift that gets better as it goes along. You'll find out later, okay? Awesome. Patience is key. :D

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_**Ria… You okay?**_

_Y-Yeah, I'm fine, I think. I have to go stop them…_

_**I've already gotten someone to come, Ria! Stop right now. You can't confront them in this state!**_

_I can and I will, so just shut up please, Mukuro-san…_

_**R-Ria…don't… I don't want you to leave, please.**_

The girl stood on the school rooftop, calmly looking down, witnessing the events happening below. Though she wasn't visibly hurt, she was absolutely exhausted – no, completely devoid of energy. That greedy illusionist had sucked her dry that time, and it was time he re-paid that. On top of that, she had her condition.

She smirked.

Correction – she _had_ her condition.

She leaned forward as red flame built up in her shoulders, flowering into Dying Will Flame. She leaped off the building, and the flames opened up fully, exposing wings that caught the wind. The wings formed flame-feathers, structure, lift, and exactly what she needed.

Flame.

_The true antidote to both the negative dying will condition and to the Death Heater is one simple thing – flame. The flame-boost was never what I needed. I have enough flame to last me an eternity – only if my life-energy hadn't been so limited in that weak condition._

She swept across the courtyard to Xanxus's frozen form, and landed atop it, coolly playing with her own weapon in hand.

"Sawada Tsunayoshi, isn't it?" she calmly asked, much to the surprise to Tsuna, who was on the ground due to exhaustion. This was the student that hadn't been coming to school either, but it was also the one who had been mauled by Hibari three times in the period of one week. She had been in a hospital, unconscious, and yet she emerges in the midst and climax of the Ring Battles, completely unharmed?

"K-Kaia…?!" he panted.

"No," frowned the girl. "If I'm like this, I'm known as Ria." She smiled gently and leaped off the ice sculpture. Her eyes glinted with red, her Dying Will reflected in her eyes. She bowed her head and smiled. But she frowned again. She blinked.

Without another delay, she turned as she threw the things in her hand accurately at the figure behind her – a fake Lussuria. The illusion became transparent and disappeared, as a cry of pain erupted from the middle of the illusion.

"Hmph," frowned Marmon. "Who are you?!" Ria frowned and flapped her flame-wings a few times, before folding them back.

"Tche. I hate repeating things," smirked Ria. "Oh well, I won't bother myself with you." The Arcobaleno frowned.

"You seem familiar – from the Mist Battle," remarked Marmon. "Your flame is similar to that Rokudo Mukuro, isn't it?" Ria's expression darkened. She didn't say anything, and she looked away, with a certain degree of pain.

"Never mind you," Marmon turned away. "Looks like the runt here can't even crawl anymore…"

"It's useless…!" Tsuna panted. "Xanxus has been put to sleep." Marmon grinned.

"Let's see about that, shall we? Instead, let's say that the preparations are in good order for the ceremony that will declare our Boss the successor as the next Vongola Boss. Our Boss will once again be revived…

"Do you know why the rings were stored in halves?" grinned the smug Arcobaleno. "And, do you know why they can only be given to the true successors of the Vongola? That's because the rings themselves have a hidden power." Marmon held out his hands, presenting all six Guardian Rings.

"Our Boss was locked up after being frozen by the Ninth's Zero Point Breakthrough. But when the ice melted, there were seven burn marks left on the base of the ice – I can't be sure who did that, but the evidence was enough to lead me to a hypothesis."

Tsuna himself became curious, and he looked at the Sky Ring, glowing in orange flame. The six in Marmon's hands also began to glow their respective colors. He floated to the ice and held the six flames up to the ice.

It was melting.

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Heh. The difference- no, one of the differences are shown here. Ria has wings. Kaia doesn't. There's more, and tune in next time for more! I'll tell you, everything's going to get really interesting in the next scenes. Especially scenes 55-56, maybe even 57 if it lasts until then. It'll be the conclusion to the Varia Arc [finally]! :D

After, there will be a few scenes in between for more romance and other inner conflicts to develop. Heh, hope that'll be fun. Anyway, until next time! Please review and vote after reading, everyone! Love you all! xD

Have an awesome life, everyone!


	53. Proof of Vongola

Heh, another part of the dialogue in the story. Woah, they really do like their voices; they talk a lot. And take up a lot of word space that I can pass off as chapters. Heheheh. xD

I'll update next time later, but thanks to everyone who reviewed~! :D

Happy Reading~! [And hence commences the unwrapping phase of Mukuro's little present! :D]

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"That's not all," said the Varia member, "When the full set of Vongola Rings are passed down to the successors, it's said that the Rings will grant a great power to the new Blood of Vongola."

"To the…Blood…of Vongola…?" repeated Tsuna. Suddenly, something whipped past his face.

"It's about time you returned it – this Ring belongs to the true successor~!" rang Belphegor. He held up his knife confidently in the air, the Sky Ring dancing on its edge. He looked in Kaia's direction – no, in Ria's direction.

"Lookie here, it's Kaia-chan~!" he cracked his wide grin. Ria glared right on back.

"Shut up, I'm technically not here. I'm in no way interfering. If _you_ do, then I'll gladly kill you, prince."

"Ushi-shi-shi… principessa is unhappy…" he shrugged. "We've gotten all the Vongola Rings~!"

"We're ready over here, too," added Marmon. The ice was nearly finished its melting – Xanxus fell forward into the ground, but alive. "It's time."

"Welcome back, Boss~!" grinned Bel.

"Give me…the rings…" he ordered.

"Of course~! That second-rate imposter doesn't deserve this… It's rightfully yours, the true progeny of the Ninth!!"

"Hold…hold on…" Tsuna faintly said. He looked up pleadingly to Ria – she looked back, her face painted with pain. She shook her head.

"After all, this was meant to be, from the start," said Marmon.

"Boss!"

"Tsuna!"

Tsuna's Guardians arrived to the scene. Ria remained with her back turned, and the Guardians miraculously hadn't seen her.

"Looks like everyone's here to witness the birth of the new Boss~!" grinned Belphegor.

"Oh, pride of the Vongola, grant your successor – grant the young blood of Vongola with great power!" cried Marmon. Xanxus stood up, greatly pleased by the accomplishment.

"This is the power!!" roared Xanxus. "This…limitless power, overflowing through me!!" Ria sighed – he was being stupid, again. First for denying the obvious fact that Tsuna actually defeated him, and now taking the lethal condition of leaking flame as the overflowing, overwhelming Vongola power that comes with that little harmless ring. Not smart, of course.

"This is the proof of the Successor to the Vongola!" he cackled. "Finally, finally, it's **mine**!! With this, I'll become the Tenth Boss of Vongola-"

He was cut short. Now, the leaking of flame finally got to him. He fell to his knees, his blood bleeding out of him like drizzling rain.

"Boss!" both Bel and Marmon shouted. Tsuna knew what happened. Ria, too, 'knew' what happened, but she had been contradicted by Tsuna.

"The ring…has…rejected…his blood…"

Marmon whirled around in anger.

"What do you know?! What do you mean the Rings rejected his blood?!"

"I…certainly…had it coming…didn't I?" Xanxus darkly chuckled. "That's right…That old fart and I have no blood relation whatsoever!!"

"Xanxus…" panted Tsuna, his Dying Will Flame fading away.

"Don't you f***ing pity me! You **scum**…" snarled Xanxus.

"I understood though…the betrayal you suffered and your hatred…I understood it all…"

It was the voice of Squalo.

"You're still alive…da*n kasukame [It is the common name for the Japanese angelshark; it would sound unusual if I just added angelshark or Japanese angelshark in there. Also, it'd be awkward to call Squalo, which means shark in Italian, an **angel**shark.]…You understand…you say… What…do you understand about me… Don't talk as if…you know…anything…"

"No. I understand – I know everything!"

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Heh. That was interesting, but nothing really much for Kaia. Unless, of course, you take what I said of her so far and make a gigantic deal about the little details. Which I wouldn't mind, because that might actually help predict what might happen next. :D

Thanks for reading, everyone, and please tune in next time! And please review and vote!! ^^

Have an awesome life, everyone! Until next time~!


	54. Cervello Archive, Termination

*laughs*

Well, this is the end of the Sky Battle, according to the Cervello official records, however it seems that the archives in the Vongola books state otherwise. You'll learn more about this later [about the archives and such, I mean], but for the truth whether it really is the end or not will depend on what happens this and next chapter.

And commence unwrapping Mukuro's present [again]!! :D

Happy Reading, and please review~ xD

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"Then say it. Just what do you know about me?! **Huh**?!"

"You just can't say it, can't you…" grimaced Squalo. "You were born in the squatters…but you were gifted with the Flame since birth. But when your mother saw that Flame, she became obsessed with the delusion that you were the lovechild of an affair between the Ninth and herself.

"Your mother didn't care about anything and brought you to meet the Ninth… You believed the Ninth's words without a doubt. You were adopted, and as the Ninth's son, your impudence grew… You used your dignity and your power as the son of the Ninth as the successor, growing up to adulthood without anybody ever daring to challenge you.

"But…the time came when you found out…that your mother had no connection at all to the Ninth…that you were taken in as the adopted son of the Ninth…and that you did not possess any blood relation to the Vongola…and worst of all, there was a law which stipulated that without the Blood of Vongola, you would never be accepted as the successor. That was when I first met you; I realized it at once and decided to follow that fury of yours. Half a year later…"

"That led to the Cradle Affair," finished Reborn.

"That's all I know. I dug it up after the Cradle Affair though…"

"All cr**…" snarled Xanxus.

"You…you betrayed the Ninth, and yet he didn't kill you…" said Tsuna. "Even until the end, hadn't be always treated you with acceptance? The Ninth didn't care about…bloodlines…or the law." He shook his head. "He believed in you more than anyone else. The Ninth had always treated you as his own son…"

"**Shut the fu** up!! Don't make me **_**sick**_** with all that unconditional love cr**!! What use is that sh**?!** **The only thing I wanted was the seat of Boss! I only wanted those scumbags to worship me – I only wanted them to praise me!!**" He coughed up more blood.

"Xanxus-sama! We will need to delve further on whether or not you are suitable for the Rings." The Cervello leaped into the scene.

"Shut up! If I can't have them, nobody can! Kill them – kill them all!!"

"Xanxus-sama!" cried the Cervello.

"I agree – way to go, Boss!" grinned Belphegor. "We're back to our original plan." He pulled out his knives.

"How rotten can you get? As if I'd let you," snarled Gokudera.

"You're all half-dead already, aren't you?" said Bel. "Ohohohoho~~ That one, too…" Hibari strolled on to the scene, ill-wishing everyone there.

"Ushi-shi-shi-shi~ This time, we'll do it 1000% right… You're all going to die~!"

"Are you _blind_ or something?! You're two against five! Who do you think the odds are against?" pointed out Gokudera again.

"Two against five? What are you talking about?! You are facing an army tens of times greater than this. All fifty members of our inborn Varia will be joining us here very soon," stated Marmon. "They were already on their way because after our Boss's victory, they were supposed to kill the rest of the people here and settle everything. These are our elite; next in battle ability only to us, the core members."

"W-Wait a minute! We cannot allow any outsiders to interfere in the middle of the battle-"

"You _think we even care_?" laughed Bel, slashing and striking down the Cervello with his knife.

"Finally, they show their hand," frowned Shamal.

"Since they've shown their true intentions, we'll join the Battle on Tsuna's side, too! Let us out of here!" shouted Colonello.

"You shouldn't have any objections now," said Dino.

"I will fight as well," supplied Basil.

"Understood," nodded the other Cervello. "In that case, the Varia side has been disqualified. The infrared boundary on the Observation Platform will be deactivated." She pressed a button on the keypad.

"Let's go!"

"Wait – it hasn't been deactivated," said Reborn.

"Naïve…" said Viper. "We sabotaged it. We'd already arranged for all of you to die in that jail cell…"

"What?!" burst Shamal.

"Move! I'll blow it apart then!" Colonello aimed his rifle, and-

"It's useless! It's constructed to explode internally if you fire from inside!!" cried the Cervello.

"What?!" Colonello cried out in surprise.

"You mean we're on our own?!" growled Gokudera, glaring intently to the other side.

"Eh…someone…is coming…?" mumbled Chrome. The soft sound of footfalls. The Varia executives arrived.

"Nice timing~!" grinned Bel. "We've been waiting for you guys~!"

"Reporting, sir! We're the only ones left. The Varia have been wiped out!" proclaimed the tallest one, as the other two fell, too weak to stand any longer. "That guy is too strong, l-like a demon!! He's going to get here soon-GYYAAHHHHHH!!!"

The last of the Varia fell, shamefully defeated.

"Boujareppa."

**-CERVELLO ARCHIVE 8234700254 TERMINATED-**

**WOULD YOU LIKE THE RELOAD THE PAGE? (Y/N)**

**ERROR.  
Unable to retrieve data.**

**GOODBYE.**

The screen blacks out; you know the Cervello have caught you trying to hack your way into their database. Your laptop's drive was entirely erased now, in case one would have copied the files onto another document. The piece of machinery was of completely no use anymore. You growl and throw the laptop into the wall irritably, crying out in rage. Your hand claps onto your forehead, and you slide it down over your eyes, then down to your chin, and the hand falls limp to your side. You sigh; and in that sigh was a mixture of conflicting feelings.

At least the Cervello don't know what comes after that. At least they didn't record that down. If they had recorded all that, it would pull the entire Vongola down into extinction in the blink of an eye. Literally, it could. You wouldn't want that to happen. You definitely don't want that to happen.

But that was what would have happened before _that_. Now, it really didn't matter all that much anymore, except to think of what Byakuran would do with that knowledge, who would probably rise to ruler of the world in a split second. Luckily, that didn't happen.

You groan to yourself again, thinking to yourself, nearly complaining about having to pick up all the missing pieces they had left behind. Solve the mysteries they carried in their souls for their lives, picking up the clues they left behind that were impossible to find. But if you solved at least one, it would make way for all the others. It was either this, or you would have to overturn the entire place to find the Vongola Archives. Even better, _that_ book. But that book was sacred; you daren't touch it, where absolutely everything would be shed by with light, where everything is pieced together, where all is known. It was like asking God questions, and God would be answering each and every one of them exactly the way you liked it.

Hey, you didn't even know where that book was. You shrug and put away all that frustration into some secluded location of your mind. You can't take all that anger out on your work. You wouldn't know what happened after. You wouldn't know; you wouldn't be able to figure out what to do next.

Suddenly, you look down. The pet's been craving for quite some time now. Irritably shoving it aside, you leave the room to get yourself a new, better laptop.

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I'm sorry if it was boring; I'll update soon~! :D

All the quotes are from the manga, since I can't go through the anime as I type. I can't type that fast, hehh. Well, next scene is where the fun starts. The _real_ fun, actually. I'm thinking of adding another bit to the end of this arc, something for Mukuro's birthday and finally Kaia's chance to shine [ahem, or Ria; I wonder which one…]. As well as an altered ending to the arc. After the arc, however, wouldn't really be much different, aside from the fact that time between the future arc and the Varia arc would be extended for some more fun with Kaia.

*laughs again*

I liked the last bit, after Boujareppa. From the "Cervello Archive…" to the "…a new, better laptop." was awesome. I loved it. Plus, there was a ton of information of what's going to be coming up later, heh. Oh yeah, if you want to guess who that was, you're free to do so. Also, if you want to guess out location and time. I'll give you guys a clue: If you go back, you'll find that there was a pet. [Heh, made it so incredibly easy for you guys, didn't I?] Good luck guessing, everyone~!

Well, review, please, and tune in for the next scene, next time!

Have an awesome life, everyone! [OMG school's almost over!! :D/D:]


	55. Her Blood for His Death

Thanks so much for reviewing, MEKI!! :D

And yes, it is Gokudera. Last scene's section that was written in second person was Gokudera, of course no longer in middle school. But, I'll reveal something else. The pet was **not** Uri. I repeat, it was _**not**_ Uri. Oh well, let's move on from that. This is where Mukuro's present is going to be opened. And the alternate ending is unfolded.

Yay~ so excited! Wonder what's going to happen… hehh.

Happy Reading, everyone, and please review~!!

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Meanwhile, as all the dialogue floated about Tsuna's allies and the Varia Guardians, neither of whom had been paying any attention to their Bosses, Tsuna and Xanxus were both occupied. The Varia leader apparently recovered a great deal – Tsuna, on the other hand, wasn't in good shape. Xanxus stood up, and slowly made his way, now standing over his competitor's struggling body.

"And now to end this…" Xanxus darkly laughed. The Flame of Wrath danced playfully around in his grasp, and his flame-gun powered up. He aimed down to Tsuna's head. "Scum 'til the end, eh?"

"Xanxus." He looked up, caught off guard. It was that weird girl with the wings. Her hair was shielding much of her face from view, which proved difficult to read her intentions. Her one clear, visible eye gleamed in the artificial light around the school.

"I'll let you kill him, Xanxus, but only on one condition."

Xanxus's grin widened.

"Does it include me killing you?"

"No – if you can as much as draw my blood before I kill you, then you may," her lips formed a devilish smile. "It wasn't just for no reason that my teacher had kept me in hiding for all these years." Her wings opened up. "I'll give you a few advantages, just for fun. You can use whatever you want, and I can only use the knives I use for training. Deal?"

"Say good-bye to the fake Boss and to the weird girl, of course, yes," laughed Xanxus. He was out of energy, but to merely draw a little blood from her, that would be a piece of cake. He frowned. "Are you mocking me, trash?!"

"No." A grin played upon her lips. "You start." Ria looked down to Tsuna. "Sawada Tsunayoshi, you should watch the extent of this rat's power…" She laughed when Xanxus's face twisted into fury, and the Varia leader, in a burst of propulsion flame, came at her.

There was a flare of red flame, and Ria was completely gone. The next moment, the curved training knives of hers dug into his back like the needles of a real cactus – Xanxus arched his back and cried out in pain. He scrunched in eyebrows in annoyance and fury, then powered himself up into the skies to see if he could catch that girl.

Tsuna looked up in awe. It was Kaia, or Ria, in action, fully displaying the extent of her abilities.

_**You aren't going to stop them?**_

Tsuna blinked.

_What…_

_**Aren't you going to stop them with your Dying Will, Dame-Tsuna?**_

Before he could register anything else, he felt a sharp pain, a wondrous, bitter-sweet pain that was sweeter than anything in the world. He felt the vitality and new-found energy course through him – his Dying Will Flame reared up again. With that, he, too, managed to get to his feet and speed up into the vast spaces of the sky, the revived strength of the Sky Flame coursing through him.

Ria was perfectly fine – she mainly dodged as Xanxus sped around, trying to avoid her surges of needles, and firing his flame bullets about in search for Ria. Xanxus's shirt was tainted with red – not only from the Ring's rejection, as those curved needles were faintly perceived to be poking out of his clothes. His eyes were widened in disbelief, as Ria disappeared and reappeared every now and then to launch her attack, so that Xanxus could at least see.

Now, Ria stopped, and she hovered in the air, a victorious grin plastered on her face.

"And now it was Xanxus's turn to be defeated by a girl, hmm?"

"Shut the f*** up bi***!!" raged the Varia leader. He aimed one of his flame-guns at her face. "Just go and die!!" He fired it. The blast could have been compared to the sun falling back down to earth – Xanxus was that pissed.

Even more pissed at Ria than to Tsuna.

He probably [obviously] didn't want to lose to a girl.

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If Ria seemed a little Mary-Sue, let me explain a little bit. No, actually, that will come later in the story. I don't want to ruin that anyway. Right now, she's a little like a cat raising its hair – making oneself seem more than one really is. Her faults are quite hard to see, but they can be fatal. Those faults will be discussed later in the story, just be patient a little. I'll try and update a little faster, but never more than one per day. That'll be too much for me…

Oh well, I hope you liked this scene, everyone, and the next update might be the finale of the Varia Arc.

Have an awesome life, everyone, and please review/vote/favorite/alert me or this story! Thanks everyone!!


	56. Fallen Angel

Scene 56! Woah, it's only been a few months since I first posted this (a little more than two months, actually) and it's already scene 56! I'm so amazed…

Thanks to everyone who reviewed, as well as those who alerted and faved and read (of course, much enthusiasm to those who read and keep coming back to read even more! :D)!! In total, there are 24 alerts and faves, and… a record of **6363** hits! I'm so~ happy!! :D

Ahh, sorry for all that blind happiness; this is the conclusion to the Varia Arc, and hence begins the stuff that comes after! Sit back and enjoy the show that will slowly unfold before you eyes in the next few weeks!! :]

Happy Reading, and please review~! xD

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Ria disappeared from sight again, and more of the needles dug into Xanxus's body. Tsuna looked around him; if he was to stop her from doing too much, he would have to first locate her. He frowned to himself. It was a near impossible task, actually – even Xanxus was having trouble locating her.

"R-Ria-san…" breathed Tsuna. "Where are you…" He winced. The injuries he sustained battling Xanxus were getting to him again.

_Ria, I told you… Don't strain yourself. Your condition-_

_I've made a deal, and it's the first time I've exercised in days. Let me have some fun, at least, and don't be like Soto, Mukuro-san._

_It __is__**my**__ power you're using there, okay?_

_Tche. You've used your fair share ages ago._

Another surge of needles, and Xanxus roared with fury and rage. Tsuna looked all around him, then at Xanxus. Maybe he could- no, he couldn't see where the needles were coming from. No, was it? Tsuna looked back. It was.

It had been a faint glimpse of red, from high up above. But it was gone immediately. Tsuna looked around wildly for the hazy red again, but he couldn't find it. He looked down, and there it was again. That small glimpse of red, so small that it could be shrugged away as a hallucination.

_She's slowing down_, Tsuna thought. He clenched his teeth – this probably isn't a good sign. And then suddenly, there was a bright flare of red flame up above, and it was gone again. But the figure remained. Tsuna held his breath. _What was happening?_

Ria, or Kaia, fell through the sky like a dead-weight. Her wings were no longer with her, and neither were her needles. Her eyes were closed gently as if she were unconscious, and her entire body was limp.

"Ah- Ria-san!" called Tsuna, diving down to attempt catching her. But too soon, they were too close to the ground. With a mighty impact, she dug a depression in the ground as Tsuna landed a few meters close by, panting with the effort of keeping himself conscious. Debris had been flung all around them, and the people on the ground were surprised and shocked, leaping away from the falling point. Xanxus also made his appearance – he landed a couple of meters away from her fall, but was unable to stand up any longer.

"Boss!" cried Marmon. Belphegor looked away from the taunting he was doing to Tsuna's Guardians and allies.

"Juudaime!!" yelled Gokudera, rushing to his Boss's side, as the opposing side came to their Boss.

"Tsuna!" Yamamoto followed closely behind, followed by a silent Ryohei and Chrome.

"Boss, you okay?!" Marmon said. Xanxus glared at the Arcobaleno, but laughed.

"That trash challenged me to a deal – if I could as much as make her bleed I'd kill the Vongola for free. And she's dead! Bwahahahahhhaaaa!!"

"Juudaime, are you okay?!" Gokudera took Tsuna's shoulders and shook them vigorously. Tsuna looked up in surprise, but relaxed. "Juudaime!! Are you okay?!"

"Tsuna, you feel okay?" Yamamoto gave his friend a small smile. Tsuna nodded.

"I-It's Ria-san…" he said. He looked in the direction of Ria.

"Ria?" repeated Reborn. He looked away, fedora shielding his face. "So that was what Soto meant…" He faced them. "What did she do, exactly?"

"R-Ria-san s-stopped Xanxus from finishing me off while you guys were trying to fight over something," Tsuna shook his head to clear it. "She said if Xanxus could get her to bleed before she kills him, then she'd allow him to kill me… But-But she…she fell through the sky like that…"

"Xanxus didn't bleed Ria yet, did she?" asked Reborn. Tsuna shook his head. "Then that means Xanxus can't kill you guys." He smirked. "The Varia cannot kill the Boss, which is you, or any of your Guardians until Xanxus bleeds her, but Xanxus can't bleed her anymore – you're the unanimous and absolute winner."

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Mukuro has a temper. It is confirmed. Well, what else would explain why Ria fell out of the sky like that?

Oh well, please review~! :]

Ah, the Varia Arc is officially finished, but we haven't confirmed the status of our little winged Ria. Hope she's not dead again… If she is, I'll kill her. Not that I have the power to, though. Sigh; oh well, just review! I promise the next update won't be long~!

Have an awesome summer, everyone~!!


	57. Boss's Visit

Well, that was quite an eventful little arc. :D

Now, it's sort of a 'clean-up' phase, I think. The aftermath. Sorry, this scene is sort of short; I think the next one would be longer.

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"How is Ria-san?!" asked Tsuna, the second he thought of it.

"Ah, you woke up. We're going to a party soon," answered Reborn. "We can drop by the hospital if you want, though." Tsuna nodded.

"Get dressed, Dame-Tsuna! It's in half an hour, too."

"AHHH, half an hour?!"

"Get to it!"

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"So she's in here?" Tsuna wondered aloud. Reborn nodded. The white-washed hallways were already freaking Tsuna out, and he wanted to get this over with and enter the room. But at the same time, he was nervous of seeing how much damage Ria [or Kaia] had sustained last night. So he closed his eyes and opened the door. And then he opened them.

Her room was a solitary one – she was the only one there. She laid calmly in her bed, unconscious and bandaged all over. But the peculiarity was that there was something glowing underneath. Tsuna came closer, and he found that it was something like that…flame he saw yesterday. It was purple, though.

"W-What's that?" Tsuna kneeled down to see it. It seemed to be burning on a rectangular piece of cloth, with the corners attached to the legs of the bed.

"Dying Will Flame," answered Reborn.

"EHHH?!" cried Tsuna. "Where'd that come from?!"

"The Cloud Guardian," said Reborn, though he didn't specify. "She was injected a number of doses of the Death Heater more than the rest of the Guardians had been, and the truth behind the Death Heater is that there is no antidote. See, the 'antidote' most doctors give to negate the effects of the Death Heater is a flame-boost, like how I shoot you into Dying Will or Hyper Dying Will mode. But Ria had gotten rid of some of it with her own Dying Will – even though she had more than ten times as much of the poison than the Guardians had. This flame down here is so that the rest of the Death Heater would be burned out, therefore rendering Kaia safe and the poison harmless."

"S-She had _ten doses of Death Heater_?!" burst Tsuna. "D-Doesn't **one dose** kill in thirty minutes?!"

"If a flame is not present and activated, that is the case," answered Reborn. "Take Hibari, for example. He had knocked down the Cloud Pole by himself – and there was a reason behind that. He has flame inside of him, though it might be weak enough not to be visible or shown. And as he fought Belphegor, his inner flame burned out the rest of it. And there was a reason the poison wasn't applied to you or Xanxus as well." Tsuna nodded.

"She'll be fine," assured Reborn, looking at Tsuna. "Come on, we've got to get to the party!!" Reborn kicked Tsuna again.

"Wha- **what was that for**?!" whined Tsuna.

"Being lazy, Dame-Tsuna. Now let's get going – I'm getting hungry."

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Ahh, remember, Dino told Hibari all about the rings. Not all, but a lot, compared to what Tsuna and the others knew of it when they got into the future. After all, something is a lot compared to nothing.

A little information regarding the Death-Heater, which sort of explains scene 49. Hope that answered a few questions out there, if there are any. Anyway, tune in next time! Things start to heat up… Heheheh. Another pairing would be introduced. I think, so far, it's Bel/Kaia, Hibari/Kaia, and a little Soto/Kaia. One more will be added – next time!

Have an awesome break/summer, everyone, and don't forget to review~!


	58. The Narrow Beam of Hope

Thanks, meki, for reviewing! :]

Anyway, about the last scene. The purple flame is obviously Cloud, and _not_ Mist. Mukuro can't just walk into Namimori just like that; he's still stuck in Vendichi [or Vendicare, whatever :D]. Also, since we also know that Hibari knows how to light a flame, that makes some room for mystery. Is it Soto's flame or Hibari's flame? :D

Oh well, read up everyone, and please review~! And vote? :D

Happy Reading!!

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It was completely dark – but there was a feeling of cold drafts and warmth. It didn't make sense, but there was a feeling of cold and warm, together. Then, there was light. It was a blinding light, and it hurt. But it kept coming through, and the gap became wider and wider and wider…

She suddenly felt a sense of self.

"Where am I?"

"Hospital," answered a voice. It sounded baby-ish, faintly familiar. There was a weird feeling crawling up her body. Kaia blinked and sat up.

"Ciaossu," nodded the suited baby, standing on a table beside her bed.

"Wh-Who are you??" blinked the bewildered girl. Reborn looked at her for a second and said:

"I'm Reborn."

Kaia frowned.

"Oh… So your name's…Reborn…?" she raised an eyebrow. "What happened though…?"

"You fainted," Reborn answered in-a-matter-of-factly. "Thought you'd remember that…"

"But…why am I covered in…these…bandages?" blinked Kaia. She motioned to a few places and said, "I remember getting a bruise here and a hard hit in my head, but nothing else like all this…" Bandages were wrapped all around her arms, and some on her back and front as well. She knew there were bands of the same material bound on her legs too.

"Thought you'd know that too…" mumbled Reborn. "You were going against Xanxus-"

"Who's that?" interjected Kaia. Reborn looked up at Kaia with a weird expression. He shook his head.

"Never mind that…That wasn't really part of the reason you got landed in the hospital anyway." Reborn grinned.

"How long have I been out…?"

"Since last night, I believe, or maybe longer…" Reborn smiled and looked back at Kaia. "However…I'm going to be in charge of you for the next two weeks."

"Eh? Why? I thought Soto would be-"

"Soto had some business in Canada with your mom – Jasmine went with him, too."

"EHH?! What- Is something up with-"

"No. But your mother got her job."

"Really?! But wait, you're not my mom's friend."

"But I do know both her and Soto," nodded Reborn.

"Then…but then if she got her job, I can move back to Kokyou right??"

"No. If you absolutely have to, then you'd have to wait at least until your mother approves and after Soto comes back."

"Aww…shoot," frowned Kaia.

"Anyway, I'll be in charge of you for the next two weeks. But, I won't be training you anything. You need your rest," said Reborn. "I'll give you your freedom, however wherever you go, you have to take this with you." He showed Kaia a cell phone.

"KYAHH~!! My first cell phone!!" beamed Kaia, and she reached out and took it into her own hands.

"Right now, it doesn't work, but it'll be activated in a few minutes. But for now, I'd advise you get some sleep first before you begin your make-up homework from the past week and a half."

"Hai-sensei!!" Kaia smiled gratefully. Reborn nodded, leaped off from the table, and left the room.

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The door knob to Kaia's room turned, and it opened. A male entered, bearing a glass vase full of flowers. He blushed, hoping nobody saw him there.

"Hey, you should know I can read minds."

He jumped and whirled around.

"R-Reborn-san!! What are you doing here?"

"Thought I'd ask you the same thing, Gokudera.

"Wh-wha-" sputtered Gokudera. He stopped and blushed a deep shade of red, averting his eyes. "I-I wasn't here…"

"Look, it's just a bunch of flowers," Reborn rolled his eyes. "It isn't _that_ hard." He smirked. "Or is it-"

"No-no-no-no-no it isn't!! Reborn-san, it isn't like that!!" cried the Storm Guardian, blushing furiously. He looked pleadingly to Reborn.

"…okay, okay, fine. I won't tell anyone, jeez."

Gokudera breathed a sigh of relief. He walked awkwardly to the little mini table set to her bedside and set it down. She was sleeping, like Reborn told her to.

"I just don't get it," frowned Gokudera. "How could she be so ordinary, and yet…so…" He face-palmed himself.

"So it _is_ that way, isn't it?" Reborn raised an eyebrow. Gokudera froze. Reborn sighed. "Do you need Shamal to-"

"There is **no fu**ing way-** I'm going to voluntarily get five meters close to him," growled the Storm Guardian, starting off at a yell, then lowering his voice so Kaia wouldn't wake. Reborn was silent, debating himself whether to tell Gokudera of the past events that happened to Kaia during the Ring Battles.

"Gokudera," started Reborn. "You do know that Raiahu Kaiashi came from Kokyou Middle, don't you?" Gokudera clenched his teeth but nodded.

"Never mind that," shrugged the Arcobaleno, with a very wide grin. Gokudera looked up.

"What do you mean, never mind that?!"

"You weren't the only one busy this past week," remarked Reborn, to Gokudera's surprise. Gokudera sat down in the chair. "Kaia had been in a state of negative hyper dying will, and had been bedridden for the past week and a half. And during the Mist Battle – you remember that?"

"Yes," Gokudera grumbled, remembering Mukuro's appearance.

"It's just a theory, but we think Mukuro was leeching energy off of Kaia-"

"What?!-"

"Hmm…eh?" Kaia woke up. Gokudera was angry at himself. _Yeah, nice going._

"Ah, Gokudera-san, is it?" she blinked, eyes wide in shock. "W-What are y-you doing here?!" The Storm Guardian's eyes flickered up to look at Kaia, but he forced himself to look somewhere else. Kaia tilted her head, looking confused so as to why he looked away. Gokudera averted his eyes again.

"He was bringing flowers for you," answered Reborn. "It's a way of saying 'get well' from everyone. He got to go because we were playing spin the bottle." He paused, then added something. "Lambo, I think, calls it 'Skin the Butt.' " Reborn frowned at the indecency, but it brought a smile to Kaia's face.

"Lambo-kun? Is he okay?" her smile softened. Gokudera looked up and blinked.

_Even if he's a stupid cow, she worries about him…_

"He's fine, as annoying as ever," Reborn frowned. "Anyway, I think it's time we're going." Gokudera stood up and walked to the door.

"Come on, Reborn-san, everyone's waiting for us…" he motioned for Reborn to hurry up. "And Juudaime, of course."

"Ciao ciao," the Arcobaleno said, and he leaped off the table and left through the door.

"See you later," muttered Gokudera, and he shut the door. He clenched his teeth.

_That was so horrible…_

"I'd advise you don't get a loser complex, Gokudera," Reborn rolled his eyes. "Come on."

"H-Hai, Reborn-san!"

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I think the end of this scene is a little awkward, but hey, it got through, right? And yes, 59/OC just got introduced to the story. It'll continue for a while afterwards, too, and even though it wasn't really on the scoreboard, it'll somewhat be 59/OC and a little 18, since Hibari would be quite happy to defend his property from others, right? Well, Kaia's not property, but… Yeah. Anyway, next time would be the next day. And Kaia stayed in the hospital overnight.

Have an awesome summer, everyone, and please review!! :]


	59. Sweets Proposition

Of course, you guys are all going like… "zOMG it's the number 59!! That's Gokudera's number!! KYAHHHHH!!!"

Actually, the fangirls, or something like that… Oh well, anyway, it is by coincidence that this scene involves Gokudera. I think scene 18 regards…uhh…mostly Soto. And 27 is more of Hibari… And if there are any more people in KHR with official numbers from one to 58, I'm not sure if it really regards them… Oh well; Enjoy~

Happy Reading, everyone, and please review when you finish~!

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"Thanks…" acknowledged Kaia, before she pushed open the door of the hospital and was free once more to do what she liked. Somewhat, that is. She had a ton of homework to get into, and on top of that, she had to make her own food for her meals or go buy food at the shopping district. In her hands she clutched the glass vase of flowers Gokudera had gotten her [that was from everyone, she 'knows'] and the thick stack of make-up work from school. She endeavored to get home first, get everything organized and sorted out, then to grab some food and begin her make-up homework.

She took her time, admiring her surroundings with some interest, eyeing a few light-hearted people she saw about with longing. She walked through the park and around the corner of the shopping district, then came to a complex of apartments. Kaia opened the gate and strolled across the yard, then up the stairs to her floor. It wasn't that long of a climb, however, and Kaia soon arrived at her door. She fumbled around in her jacket pockets, looking for her keys. She took them out with an air of triumphant glory, then gladly stuck the keys in the door's key-hole, and victoriously opened the door.

And then her jaw hit the floor. Not literally just figuratively. If you don't get it, let's just say she was very, very, very surprised.

Her living room was so impossibly clean that even the carpet was shining. Every single surface was shining with polish, and the couch was fluffed up like a dog that took a bath then immediately got hair-dried.

"EHHHH?! What happened?!" Kaia squealed, as she didn't know what was going on, but she liked the fact that it was perfectly clean, aside from the fact that she couldn't find anything at all anymore, since most of her stuff magically disappeared, and what wasn't gone usually would have been found somewhere in a mess, but those things were now found in the drawers, desks, shelves, and such, where the stuff that used to be there used to occupy. She gingerly put the vase of flowers in the living room and dumped the stack of homework on the floor by the table in the living room, before making straight for the kitchen.

"Cake-cake-cake…Cookies-cookies-cookies…Ice-cream-ice-cream-ice-cream…" Kaia crazily grinned, opening cabinets at random to see if the items she was looking for would be hiding somewhere. She frowned. Nothing was there.

"EHHHH?! No food…" pouted Kaia.

_Soto isn't here anymore, and Jasmine isn't either. And they've called a baby to baby-sit __**me**__. They don't want me, don't they…_

Her angry gaze softened. She sighed and decided she'd cheer up if she went back to the shopping district to just get something good to eat – not grocery shopping, just snack shopping. She rapidly made for the door, grabbing her door keys and her bag, which she hoped had some money, and attacked the door. Flinging it open, she nearly ran out the door, but she bumped into and fell over someone.

"AHHH!!"

"Watch where-" began a snarl. Then came a sigh. "Would you just get off of me?!"

"S-S-Sure…" Kaia rolled over and off the person, which she realized was a male, from the voice. She stood up and glanced at the person on the ground. "Ehhh?! What're you doing here, Gokudera-san??" Kaia blinked in curiosity. "It isn't everyday that there would be a guy standing right in front of my door…" she muttered.

"I was just passing by," said Gokudera, turning his head in the direction he was going to go – down. Meanwhile, Kaia just went fumbling in her bag, apparently looking for something.

"What are you doing?" asked the Storm Guardian. Kaia looked up, frozen in shock. Gokudera had said that – actually, everything he said to Kaia so far – didn't have any aggressiveness in it, didn't have any disgust in it, it didn't have anything negative whatsoever in it.

"J-Just looking for my wallet…" Kaia stopped fumbling around with her bag. She held it in her hand at her side now, but her curious gaze continued. After a second, she lowered her gaze back to eye level. "It seems I don't have any more money…" She frowned and sighed, looking to the ground. "I wanted to go get something to eat at the shopping district, but…" Kaia turned around and stepped back past the doorway, back into her apartment. "I don't have any money." She turned around, door knob in hand, and all ready and set to wish him a good rest of the day and slam the door in his face. But she didn't. She was about to, and she nearly did it. But Gokudera saved the chance with one sentence.

"I-I'll pay," he burst. "I'll get you something then." The door was already half-closed when the hand stopped. The door inched open, and Kaia's head stuck out, a small, surprised smile on her face.

"Really…?"

"S-Sure…" muttered Gokudera, looking away. Kaia frowned.

"Why're you always looking somewhere else? Is there like a bird flying around that's bothering you?"

"No it isn't!! Just- come on, why don't you just get something before I change my mind?!" growled Gokudera. He was back to his old self, snarling, impatient, overall not very nice to anyone but Juudaime. Kaia gave him another little smile, and she joined Gokudera outside, locked the door shut, and made for the staircase. The Storm Guardian's heart skipped a beat, and he hastily followed Kaia down the stairs, to the shopping district of Namimori.

He just wished that he wouldn't bump into Juudaime on the way…

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Heh. :]

Anyway, please review!! I'm so happy, too! 99 reviews! Nearly 7,000 hits and in total of 27 alerts and faves! Isn't that awesome??

Have an awesome summer, everyone!!


	60. The Little Road

Thanks for reviewing, AkaMizu-chan, vampireizzy, meki~! xD

Well, of course, continued from scene 59. :] Have fun reading~! Oh- and please review too!!

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Kaia halted once she got past the gate. Gokudera just strolled casually along, hands deep in his pockets, and he looked back.

"Aren't you coming?" he raised an eyebrow. Kaia looked down both paths of the road.

"I'm not that familiar with Namimori yet…" she walked out onto the road and looked both ways. "I heard you came from Italy, right? Do you know much about Namimori?"

"I know where they sell food," suggested Gokudera, and he set off in that direction. Kaia looked down the roads again a little dubiously, but ran up to Gokudera, blindly following where he was going, automatically assuming that was the direction the shopping district was. The last time she got anywhere at all was by guesswork, observing what the people around her held [ex. People with shopping bags walking in one direction means the shopping district would likely be in the other way.] and what points in the path she could remember [ex. A random stop sign, then go straight and there would be another stop sign would probably mean she was going towards the school.].

"Ehhhh…Where are we?!" Kaia looked around, completely confused. She had never been down this road before.

"It's a short-cut, okay? Just…be quiet and follow me," said Bomber-man, without a glance behind him.

"Hmmmm…okay…" Kaia wasn't sure, but she decided to trust her classmate just this once – if she didn't she'd be completely lost and probably wouldn't find her way back home. They traveled a little longer along the narrow, dirty trail between looming buildings. Kaia looked up, and thought it faintly reminded her of pictures she had seen of Europe… Was it how this Italian person dealt with his homesickness?

"What do you want to buy?" Gokudera suddenly asked. Kaia jumped.

"Eh?"

"What do you want to buy??" he repeated. Kaia was silent for a second.

"Why are you asking me right now…?" blinked Kaia. "I'm still not that sure, 'cause I don't know what they sell…"

"The shopping district has sections to it, like the aisles you find in supermarkets. What do you want then?" Gokudera walked on without pausing. Kaia half-ran to keep up, as she was getting a little tired.

"Umm… I'll… I'll get…I'll just get ice cream then. A sundae, yeah. I'll get a sundae," Kaia beamed with her decision, but it was to Gokudera's back. Gokudera knew she was doing that, and kept his back to her so he could at least maintain his cool.

"Okay then. This way," he muttered, before turning off of the little road and out into the open again.

"Woahhh…" gaped Kaia, looking around. They were suddenly immersed in a crowd of people. "This is the shopping district?!"

"Yeah," answered Gokudera. He grimaced. "But not for ice cream." He knew it was the place Dr. Shamal hung out all the time – he claimed it was the place where all the cute and hot girls flocked, so he was probably in the crowd somewhere. He had to get out of the place as fast as possible, or ditch Kaia if Shamal comes around. The problem with the latter plan was if Kaia came back, complaining about the ice cream she didn't get. That would spring into a problem, and Dr. Shamal would forevermore tease him about getting a girl… Yeah, Gokudera would love to keep that from turning to reality. On the other hand, if Gokudera told Kaia about Shamal, she'd probably do something stupid.

According to Gokudera, all girls had at least one defective gear. Haru, the stupid woman, screams too much, and she sticks around too much. Kyoko is just… Well, Gokudera doesn't have anything against her, since Juudaime likes her. But Hana actually _likes_ the stupid cow. And Kaia, well, she runs into too much trouble with Hibari. If you were with her, you might run into some trouble with Hibari, and probably end up beat up all over. And of course, his sister – Bianchi. Gokudera would just curse her and her poison cooking, and just plain avoid all that.

"Come on, hurry. I want to get this over with quickly," said Gokudera, and taking a huge risk by grabbing hold of Kaia's hand and literally dragging her through the crowd.

"AHHH!! Gokudera-san, what's the big hurry?! You're pulling on my arm…" cried Kaia. Gokudera cursed to himself – Dr. Shamal probably heard Kaia.

"Just- _come on, hurry_!!" Gokudera dragged Kaia down the street and around the bend. He gradually stopped, and let go of Kaia's hand. Kaia was panting hard, and sat down on the ground in exhaustion. She rubbed her wrist.

"Owww…" she complained. "Why…why do you have to pull so hard?! There's…there's no…rush…" She was breathing hard. Gokudera sighed. Girls get tired easily, too…

"Then," Gokudera looked away, closed his eyes, and muttered, "sorry…" Kaia looked up, her breathing becoming laborious. She blinked and looked away, feeling a fit of coughs to break out. After she coughed a little bit, she looked curiously back at Gokudera.

"You…said…sorry…" the corner of her mouth twitched and turned upwards into a smile. "Thanks…" She leaned forward, to pull herself up to her feet but sat back down forlornly.

She pulled on the nearest thing to her – Gokudera's sleeve. Leaning on that, she shakily pulled herself up, and gave him an apologetic smile.

"Sorry…I'm…a little…tired…" She straightened herself up and put her weight on her feet. One hand let go of his sleeve, and then the other followed. "Thanks…" She closed her eyes and stood up by herself. "I…still…want…my…ice…cream…please…" Her legs suddenly felt limp, and she sat back down again.

_So this must be her negative dying will condition…? Or is it that…energy leeching…?_

"Sorry," Kaia laughed to herself in embarrassment. "I'm just feeling…so…tired…" She looked up. "Pull…me…up…?" She held out a hand. Gokudera regarded the hand for a moment, then gave his reply.

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Heh. That was interesting. :]

And I bet you guys know what Gokudera's answer was, right? Of course, he _does_ have a crush on Kaia. [so far… wonder where that'll go xD]

Thanks for reading, and now please review! Or alert or fave or something like that…but at least let me know that you liked it or didn't like it or wanted to vote or would like me to change something or might like me to improve in some aspect or something like that. It'll help. xD

Have an awesome break, everyone, and try not to get bored…! :D


	61. Chance Meeting

Yes, now it's scene number 61. It's a wonder how well those foreshadows work… :D

Remember scene 59? Yes, that was the foreshadow of this scene.

And, regarding Shoko-Chan's review about not seeing Gokudera in love with Kaia… Gokudera already fell in love with her. He's just covering it… Well, of course, nobody can stay all lovey-dovey that long, especially Gokudera. And of course he got it into his mind that Kaia should be excused from all that, because of stupid Mukuro's little liking to suck out all of Kaia's strength [if that's possible…]. Of course, if you haven't gotten enough of it, it will be coming later. And I promise you it'll come. xD

Happy Reading, everyone, and please review!!

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"Fine."

He took Kaia's hand, and putting his foot against hers, he pulled her up according to the laws of leverage.

"Okay, umm, what about you just wait here…and I just run over and get you something?" suggested Gokudera. "You sit there." He motioned to the rather out-of-place bench, but he helped Kaia there and she sat down. "What did you want again?"

"Ice cream…a sundae…mint ice cream, two scoops…and…nuts, and melted chocolate…" said Kaia, after thinking a while. "Yeah. Thanks, though. You don't have to get all that anyway, I didn't really want it that much…" Gokudera nearly face-palmed himself.

"That's what we came for, right? Just sit tight…" he muttered, before quickly disappearing around the other bend, to where she assumed was where the ice cream was sold. And so she waits, and he gets her ice cream.

The ice cream came surprisingly fast. Gokudera was back around the bend, back in Kaia's sight, and obviously holding the ice cream she wanted in his hand. Kaia brightened up, eyeing the ice cream happily.

"Here," Gokudera put the plastic bowl in Kaia's hands. It was bitterly cold in her hands, and Kaia grasped the spoon. She took a chunk of the ice cream out and stuck it in her mouth – it was so good… She smiled, showing she was satisfied.

"Thank you…" she said to Gokudera. "When do I pay you back?"

"You don't have to," he said hastily.

"Don't have to…?" repeated Kaia. "But wasn't this expensive…?"

"Not really – you just don't have to pay me back, okay?" nodded Gokudera. "You have to get home."

"EHHH?! Gokudera-kun?! Raiahu-san?!"

Gokudera whipped around, and Kaia looked past Gokudera.

"J-Juudaime?!"

"What are you doing here?" asked Tsuna. "AHH- Get off of me!!" He dropped the shopping bag and reached for the thing clinging on his back. "Lambo!!"

"Stupid cow, get off Juudaime!!" Gokudera growled, and he lunged for Tsuna, eyes aflame.

"Lambo-san wants candy!!" whined Lambo. "Maman told Lambo-san Dame-Tsuna had candy!!"

"Shut up," interrupted Reborn, and he aimed a kick at Lambo, successfully knocking the Thunder Guardian off of Tsuna's back. Lambo immediately began to cry. "Ciaossu."

A sheer cold ran up Kaia's spine.

"R-Reborn-san!!" cried the surprised Gokudera. "What are you doing here?!"

"Tsuna is shopping for a few things Maman needed for dinner," replied the Arcobaleno. "What we want to know is why you're here, Gokudera, with Kaia."

"Eh- what- I-I-I…" Gokudera was stuttering like he was dumb.

"KAIA-KAIA-KAIA-KAIA!!" cried Lambo, crying a river as he ran complaining to the silent girl. "Tako-head was being meaaaann!!" He crawled up her leg and sat in her lap, sniffling pitifully. Gokudera and Tsuna were stunned. To think that Lambo would go running to Kaia, of all people, to cry to… They didn't even know that Lambo knew her.

"It's…okay…" breathed Kaia, and she hugged Lambo back. She felt a certain warmth in him, as if he were giving her energy.

Actually, he was. Literally.

Though Lambo didn't know it, whenever he was hyper or full of energy, he was charged throughout him the thunder flame. And like that, he was like a power outlet – anything that he latched on, he would transfer energy. And Kaia just felt it, though she didn't understand a thing about it. She didn't know anything about flame, about the attributes, not even anything about the mafia or the Vongola. Anyway, just to sum it up, Lambo was a strength-giver.

Kaia faced Tsuna and Gokudera.

"How often does this happen?" she quietly asked. Tsuna didn't have an answer. Neither did Gokudera. They didn't know how to answer her – Kaia seemed to be heart-broken that they actually practice child abuse.

"I said – _how often does this happen_?!"

Both of them were silent, staring, shocked, surprised, speech-less.

"Lambo, how often does this happen?" asked Kaia, her eyes shining, foretelling tears. She forced a smile as Lambo looked up.

"Ehhh? Kaia, are you sad~?" Kaia's smile disappeared. His face twisted into a bright, laughing face. "You want candy toooo~?" Kaia blinked and cracked a real smile.

"No, I've already got ice cream. You want it?"

Gokudera gaped. The ice cream he worked so hard to get Kaia – only to end up in the hands of the stupid cow? That just…wasn't fair.

"Auuhhh, don't you think that Dame-Tsuna and Tako-head are so annoying~?" yawned the oblivious Lambo, picking his nose and pointing to Gokudera and Tsuna. Kaia smirked, and burst into laughter.

"Hai-hai~!" she laughed, rubbing her eye. Both Gokudera and Tsuna's jaws dropped. She was so full of negative emotions before; now, she was happy and laughing. She patted Lambo's head and scooped another spoonful of ice cream.

"Kaia," said Reborn. Kaia perked up and looked. "Do you have it with you?" She nodded, fishing in her bag and finally finding the little gadget. She pulled it out and waved it in the air.

It was a flippy cellphone. It was mainly silver, except for a band of red along the separation of the two parts. If the device were flipped open, there would be that band of red all along its rim. The screen on the front lit up.

"EHH?! Reborn, why do you know she has that? And what do you have to do with it?!" Tsuna turned to Reborn. The Arcobaleno just smirked.

"We still have a lot to get," Reborn leaped onto Tsuna's shoulder. "Let's get going now."

"Kaia, I think you really should be getting home, then," frowned Gokudera, noting her fragileness. Kaia nodded.

"Can you lead me home?"

Gokudera blushed a little and looked away.

"Fine." He immediately began to walk away. Kaia frowned, set Lambo aside, and stood up, leaning into a run after Gokudera. Lambo just waddled after.

"Ah- Gokudera-san, wait up!!"

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Tsuna looked to Reborn.

"Why does Raiahu-san have that thing? And why do you know about it??"

"Of course, you know that Ria defeated Xanxus and secured your win, right? That would get around the mafia rather quickly. After the Sky Battle, she will be targeted by assassins and mafioso from various families," said Reborn. "And with Soto gone, she is without protection of any kind. The cell phone I gave her is a Vongola tracking device."

"You gave Raiahu-san a Vongola tracking device?!"

"That little thing has the Vongola's best engineering in it. Since the original phone didn't have GPS capabilities, it took up more space to put it in. Not only that, the phone is unhackable; its special encryption enables only calls within the Vongola, which also includes Soto. That way, not only would she not be spied over the phone by non-Vongola assassins and spies, she would never be lost under the eye of the Vongola."

"But-"

"Shut up and get shopping for the food. I'm getting hungry."

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I've had a chapter between this one and the next one… but when I was transferring the chapter between other chapters, it disappeared. I was devastated, so I put an extra part in this chapter, which is what I remember from the missing chapter. I am so not happy. T_T Not happy about that part, though.

Anyway, I think it was pretty okay. Anyway, please review, everyone!

Have an awesome summer, everyone~!! xD


	62. Lost Puppy

Ehh, it's scene 62 already… o.o

Amazing how fast I update, really, it's just that I update in little parts. Hehh.

And about Kaia? Right now she's a little like not wanting to believe that Gokudera has taken a liking to her. And yes, she did notice. Just doesn't want to believe it. And yes, there is a difference. Heh, and now, this is the part I told you guys about before, I think – the 59/OC with a little 18. :D

Oh yeah, sorry, I remember there was a vote from someone… ahh, Shoko-Chan~!! :D

Well, here are the updated votes~

Mukuro/Kaia: 8 [and 5 re-votes from Shin] [one of the votes are from Shoko-Chan, and she re-votes twice]

Mukuro/Kaia **with a Hibari twist**: 1 [and 3 re-votes from Shoko-Chan]

**Gokudera/Kaia: 3 1/2** [and 1 1/2 re-votes from Shin] [another re-vote from Crazee4anime] [Tsunadesama89 also half-votes, but all final votes will be rounded down. Heheh.]

------------------ In a way, though, it's actually three votes…Shin, Crazee4amine, and Tsunadesama89 :]

Hibari/Haruka: 2 [and another re-vote from Shin]

Yamamoto/Chrome: 2 [and 2 re-votes from Shin] [and a re-vote from Banyou]

**Hibari/Kaia: 2**

**Belphegor/Kaia: 2**

**Soto/Kaia: 1**

Byakuran/Kaia: 1

Yeah, as you said, Shoko-Chan, Byakuran probably isn't going to be in the story for a while – if I keep on updating at the same pace. If I put everything up in one piece, it's probably not going to be that long, since you readers read really fast~ :D

Well, on to the story~! Happy Reading, everyone, and please review!! :D [and vote!!]

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Kaia sighed. Gokudera wasn't anywhere to be found anymore. Lambo looked up at Kaia.

"Ehh, Kaia, the ice cream is melting…" noted Lambo. Kaia nodded and smiled.

"Let's sit down and eat it then, hmm? It was from Gokudera-san~!" She looked around. They were at the park now. She found a nice bench under a tree and sat down, placing Lambo down beside her. She put the melting ice cream in her lap and began to eat.

"Lambo-kun, you want some?" beamed Kaia. She held out the bowl. Lambo shook his head.

"Lambo-san wants candy and octopus-balls…"

"Okay then, but I don't have any money with me," she told him. "Either it's ice cream or nothing." She huffed and began to gorge herself with ice cream, enjoying the pure bliss of cold, creamy, sweet dessert.

She was half-done when Lambo suddenly cried out, leaped off of the bench, and took off to God-knows-where. Kaia blinked and looked around.

"Lambo…?" She frowned.

_That was weird…_

Her expression softened again, and she sighed. But she could feel something approach her from behind. She wanted to turn around, but she didn't. She was greeted by a familiar person…

"What are you doing here?"

Kaia froze and said nothing. She calmly put the spoon back in the bowl of melting ice cream and tried to keep herself from cringing in surprise and shock.

"I said, what are you doing here?!" the menacing voice intensified. Kaia chose to speak.

"H-Hibari-sempai…" her throat was dry, and she was blushing as if she was painted red; Kaia dared not look back at Hibari. She recalled the other day too well – she might have offended him, and he's probably here to finish killing her. "W-What brings you here today?"

"You look lost," remarked the President of the Disciplinary Committee. "Aren't you just a lost little puppy? You probably need help getting home."

"H-Hai…" Kaia bowed her head shamefully.

"Come on, then," Hibari leaped over the bench and walked down the sidewalk. He stopped and looked back. "Aren't you coming, Kaia?"

The poor girl nodded, shakily stood up, and made her way to Hibari, all the while avoiding eye contact. Her legs were giving way. Hibari probably saw that, and he moved to support Kaia up. Kaia looked away, embarrassed to an unbearable point, but was thankful for his attention.

"Thanks," mumbled Kaia. She cautiously looked up. Hibari was focused on getting Kaia to her home – but Kaia had no idea how he knew where she lived. They both made their gradual way around the corner, and Kaia suddenly recognized the place. It was really close to her apartment complex…

Hibari just halted.

"Get on my back," he commanded. "Stairs are up ahead." Kaia blushed again – blushed a shade darker than crimson. But she nodded and obliged. Her legs were now really giving way, and soon it would be impossible for her to move like that at all. Hibari let go of her, and Kaia's arms stretched around Hibari's neck, locking in place. Kaia tried to push out the thought relating this to her encounter with the prince. Hibari stood back up, and commenced to get Kaia back home.

The President opened the gate and marched up the staircase, with Kaia still on his back. Up, floor by floor, he went, and he reached Kaia's apartment level. He approached the door and halted, realizing he didn't have the key to unlock the door. He nudged Kaia.

"Hmm?" Kaia lifted her head, which was previously resting on Hibari's shoulder.

"Key…?" Hibari raised an eyebrow at the girl, and he let her down, sitting on the ground. Kaia held out her bag and began to rummage in it.

"Here," she held out the metal object, and Hibari took it from her hand, jammed it into the lock, and opened the door. He pulled Kaia up again, and helped her inside. Hibari dragged her as far as the couch, lifted her onto it, and set her down on the couch.

Kaia sensed a faint similarity between Soto and Hibari for some strange reason, though there was virtually no likeness between the two.

"I'll be leaving – I have business to attend to," said Hibari as he warily glared at the vase of flowers, before briskly tossing Kaia's keys on the tabletop and leaving, shutting the door silently. Kaia just stared after him, and at the door he left through. And then she realized.

She went all the way to the shopping district and came all the way back, but without her ice cream.

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As you readers are probably wondering why Kaia blushed that heavily towards Hibari and not to Gokudera. Yeah, I bet you guys are wondering. So I'll tell you guys.

Hibari, in a way, had not only expressed that he was interested, he actually 'confessed' already. Poor Gokudera is somewhat behind by one step – no confession. So Kaia tries to deny the fact that Gokudera likes her, whereas denying the fact that Hibari likes Kaia is already something that cannot be done.

And sorry, Mukuro/Kai hasn't come yet. It will be coming, I guarantee it. Just be a little patient; the story rolls along quite nicely. It'll get there. It's nice I got one arc finished at least, heh. Well, everyone, please tune in next time, and review~! :D

BTW: the next scene will be entertaining~

Have an awesome break/summer!! [to meki as well, heh xD]


	63. Abstract Clues

As I told you guys, this scene would be very interesting. And it is. Very, very entertaining. :D

Of course, when it comes to Gokudera 'babysitting' Lambo, it's always entertaining.

Thanks to leeland88, lara gin, and meki for reviewing! And for those aside from meki that are wondering when Hibari had confessed. Well, it was when he hugged Kaia. Of course, Kaia had never hugged a boy anywhere that close to her own age.

Well, Happy Reading, everyone, and please review~! xD

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"Tako-tako-tako-tako-head!!" cried an obnoxious voice. Gokudera twitched in annoyance. First of all, Kaia disappears. He had a feeling she was going to get into some trouble, and now she was lost. And now here comes the stupid cow, coming to cry to him for some bizarre reason. And then the leech latched onto its prey.

"K-K-Kaia…" Lambo took a big sniff and continued, "T-There was something s-s-scary, and L-Lambo-san ran off, b-b-b-but K-Kaia's still there and-" Anything else he said after that was incoherent, as he was bawling his eyes out. Gokudera knew for sure that Kaia was in some type of trouble now – he had to find her.

"Where exactly was Kaia when you ran off, stupid cow?!" demanded Gokudera, shaking the poor toddler off of his foot and raising him to eye level by the scruff.

"T-T-The-The p-p-p-p-paa-park…" stuttered the poor boy, and Gokudera just made Lambo cling onto him like a monkey before running in the direction of the Namimori park. He raced past the crowd and around a corner, down a few more paths, then he came to the front of the park.

"Well?! Stupid cow, exactly where were you guys?!" Gokudera growled to the bawling Lambo. He was already getting Gokudera's shirt wet, for goodness's sake…

"T-T-There…" pointed Lambo. "I want candy!! I want Kaia a-and candy!!"

"This isn't the time for candy, stupid cow!!" snapped Gokudera, rapidly approaching the bench where Kaia had been sitting at. Now, there wasn't anyone at all on the bench. The ice cream Gokudera had bought her was overturned, melted ice cream splattered across the grass. He stopped, and Lambo slid to the ground, now calm enough to not cry. But he was silent.

Gokudera cursed to himself again and again and again, non-stop in his head. She wasn't here – it was evident something happened while Lambo was running away.

"Stupid cow, you coward! You should at least protect her or something – be a man!!" Gokudera aimed a kick at Lambo again. The toddler cried out and dodged away. The Storm Guardian sighed in exasperation. This was going nowhere. He should at least tell Juudaime- no, he's not going to make Juudaime worry! He was definitely not going to make Juudaime worry about anything. Then who should he tell? He should tell Reborn then, right? He knows that Reborn has something to do with it, without a doubt. But the problem is that if he finds Reborn, he'd bump into Juudaime. Gokudera dragged Lambo off of his leg again – the toddler was bawling on him again. Gokudera thought it was weird – by now, wouldn't Lambo have shot himself with that-

And right at that moment, Lambo pulled out a grenade from his afro.

"Die, tako-head!!" he sniffed, and he chucked the heavy object in the direction of Gokudera's face, but it fell back down – on Lambo's face. Lambo cried out in pain.

"Tol-er-ate…WAHHHHH!!" Lambo burst out crying, and now he pulled out something else out of his afro – the Ten-Year Bazooka. Before Gokudera could stop him, Lambo aimed it at his head and pulled the trigger. There was a poof of pink smoke, and out of the pink haze emerged the fifteen-year-old version of Lambo.

"Ya-re, ya-re, what's it now?" yawned Lambo. He looked at Gokudera. "Eh? Gokudera-shi, what- did you upset my younger self again?" Lambo sighed. Gokudera gritted his teeth.

"Not this time. He was freaking out because Kaia's- Kaia's gone somewhere, and the younger Lambo said there was someone scary that came…" He glared at the older Lambo. "You know anything about this?" Lambo looked up and blinked.

"Didn't Kaia tell me that you've liked her for- ahh, so that was what she meant…" mumbled Lambo, nodding to himself. He sobered up a bit. Lambo frowned and looked up at Gokudera, as he was sitting down. "Kaia of…this time?"

"What else, stupid cow?!" snarled Gokudera. Lambo laughed.

"Fine, fine. I'll tell you what freaked really me out when I was little – killer intents. That's all I remember, but I hope it helps."

"K-Killer intents?! That's it?!" gaped the Storm Guardian. He raised an eyebrow in question. "You sure?" Lambo stood up.

"Yup. That's what I'm sure of," nodded the teenager. He looked Gokudera in the eye and laughed. "It feels weird to look at Gokudera-shi like this… Usually he-" Lambo stopped and paled. He knew that if he said any more, he'd probably get in trouble.

"Usually I_ what_, stupid cow?!" yelled Gokudera, on the brink of pulling out his dynamite on Lambo. The older Lambo backed away, holding his hands out as if in surrender.

"Eheheheh, it's fine, y-you really don't have to pull those out…" chuckled Lambo. Gokudera gave him a wary look, and looked away.

"Okay, back to the subject. How the hell does being scared of killer intent help me find Kaia?!"

Lambo remained silent. Gokudera glared at him. Lambo sighed.

"I thought you were supposed to be smart…?" blinked the fifteen-year-old. He got another death-glare from Gokudera, and a chill ran down his spine. It seems that fear hadn't really gone away, and Lambo sensed that it probably wasn't a good thing.

"In case you haven't noticed, it takes time to think," said the Storm Guardian. He looked down to his feet. The ice cream was still melting in the grass. He picked it up, and showed Lambo.

"This remind you of something?" he asked. "It's not like you don't remember absolutely nothing when you were…smaller and more annoying." Lambo blinked.

"It's ice cream, Gokudera-shi. Hmm…mint ice cream…fudge…nuts…park…Namimori…five years old. Hmm…ah. I know now," smirked Lambo. "It was the first time Kaia took me out for ice cream." He beamed. "Kaia's really kind to me, like Tsuna." Gokudera's expression lit up.

"Then you really remember? Can you tell me what happened?"

"I-I really don't think I should tell you…But I do know that- wait…I'm not sure if it's the right one. Can I get more details?" sighed Lambo. "I was young that time; it's not like I remember _every single detail_." Lambo glanced at Gokudera.

"Well…_I _bought that ice cream."

"Really?" Lambo raised an eyebrow. "Then that makes it easier. Are you guys dating yet?"

"WHAT?!" burst Gokudera, beginning to get red in the face. Lambo wasn't sure if it was out of rage or out of embarrassment, but Gokudera was getting really red in the face. "What do you mean _dating_?! W-What kind of a question is that?!" Lambo blinked.

"Ohh. Oops, wait. Hmm, so _it was after that_, then. I think the Ring Battles are over, right? Yeah, I think so, if it's now…" mumbled Lambo. "Hmm. Anything weird about Kaia, right now? Anything particular about the events around her?" Gokudera glared at him.

"You aren't helping."

"Well, if five minutes are up, then you wouldn't know a thing. So I'd rather listen, okay?" smiled Lambo. He enjoyed being the boss of Gokudera, who was always bossing him around in Lambo's own time. "Again, anything particular to mention? No, that's not the thing to ask. Rather, is there anyone with a killer intent that you can easily name?"

Gokudera paused and face-palmed himself.

"Don't tell me…not again…" groaned the Storm Guardian. "Is it Hibari?"

"Well…" began Lambo. But then there was a burst of pink smoke, and he was gone. In his place was the young Lambo again, but he was not bawling. Rather, he was bubbling with happiness.

"NYAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAH!! Lambo-san conquered the world with his trusty sidekick, Neko-san!!" the toddler quickly shut his mouth when Gokudera gave him a cold stare.

"What do you mean, neko-san?!" growled Gokudera. "Come on." He grabbed Lambo by scruff again, and set off to find Reborn and Juudaime.

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*smiles*

Heh, well I liked the dating part. :D

I bet Gokudera's probably feeling a little better to hear that not only Kaia survived, but also that Gokudera actually got to date her. Heh, it'll get interesting after the Millifore Arc. Very, very, interesting. But not only after the Millifore Arc – more about the extent of Kaia's power is revealed in the Millifore Arc! As well as stuff about Kaia, etc. But that's coming up later. Not now. Sorry, to those who are impatient, but I'll get there. Eventually.

Well, thanks for reading, everyone, and please review!

Have an awesome summer break everyone!! [as well as everyone who don't have summer breaks~]


	64. First Invitation

Thanks for reading the last scene and coming back to read this one! And if you aren't one of those people, thanks for reading anyways! And keep on reading! :]

The next few scenes will be entertaining, I think. Yeah, it will. xD

Happy Reading, everyone, and please review~!!

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"R-Reborn-san! Juudaime!!" called Gokudera as he ran up to the two. Tsuna turned around.

"Eh? Gokudera-kun? I thought Lambo went with Raiahu-san… Where's she?" asked Tsuna, apparently clueless of what happened. Reborn leaped onto Tsuna's shoulder and was waiting for an explanation. Lambo rushed back to Tsuna and hugged his leg, laughing like crazy.

"And…what happened to Lambo?!" Tsuna raised an eyebrow. He looked to Gokudera.

"Well, err, Juudaime, L-Lambo hit himself with the Ten-Year Bazooka, so, he must have cheered up a bit in the future… And for Kaia, I don't know where she ran off to," Gokudera frowned and muttered, "Stupid girl can't even find her own way home." He didn't like it, but he didn't want Juudaime suspecting that Gokudera actually liked someone.

"If you haven't noticed, Gokudera, Kaia's cell phone has a Vongola tracking device." Gokudera looked down to Reborn, the one who had spoken.

"A…tracking device?" he repeated.

"Right," Reborn pulled out a cell phone from his pocket. The screen lit up, and Reborn continued. "Kaia's phone, which is with her, is…in her apartment."

"What?!" gaped Gokudera. "She can't possibly find her way home that quickly by herself!!"

"I know," remarked Reborn with a frown. "There must be a catch, a slip-up, something we're missing." Tsuna blinked, utterly confused.

"It doesn't make any sense though, Reborn…" He looked to Gokudera. "G-Gokudera-kun, what do you think?"

"Lambo suggested something though," said Gokudera, "about Hibari."

"Hibari?" repeated Reborn. "Auh. Probably." He nodded. "It would make sense."

"H-How could it make any sense at all?! It's _Hibari_-san!!" emphasized Tsuna. Gokudera was indignant. Though he suspected it, he pushed the prospect aside – it wasn't hard evidence yet. It might not be like that at all – this is Hibari we're talking about, and that's a completely different matter altogether.

"It makes sense, but I can't explain it," said Reborn. He nodded. "Ahhh, Tsuna, we're done with grocery shopping for Maman. Let's get home for dinner then." The Arcobaleno immediately began to walk away. Tsuna looked back urgently.

"B-But are you sure Raiahu-san is okay?" he asked. "It's Hibari-san we're talking about though…"

"She's fine," Reborn said without missing a beat. "If you want to really make sure, why don't you invite her to dinner?" Gokudera's heart skipped a beat again.

"Ahh, Juudaime, can you invite me too?" brightly added the Storm Guardian.

"Uh- sure…" blinked Tsuna. "I'm not sure if kaa-san would consent though…" He was unsure – of course, it wasn't a good deed to invite people if his mother wasn't prepared.

"Well she didn't say a word of protest when Dino came, with his horde of mafia," said Reborn. "Come on."

"Ahhh- Reborn, wait…" Tsuna ran up to catch up with his tutor's retreating steps, with Lambo dangling on his neck, and Gokudera made his way home again, down the winding little back road and through the gate, up the stairs, and past Kaia's closed door. He paused a second, regarding the door with an uncertain air of suspicion. But he walked past to the other side of the building, unlocked his own door, entered, and brutally slammed his front door shut.

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That was nice. Of course, we all know that Kaia's fine. Imagine Gokudera's expression when he sees her again, heh. xD

But that's for next scene. Let's leave the dinner for the next few scenes. As I said, they will be very, very entertaining. Thanks for reading, everyone, and please review!

Have an awesome summer break everyone!! [as well as to those without summer breaks~]


	65. Dinner Arrivals

As I told you readers, this scene will be entertaining. Just not as much as next scene. And next-next scene as well, and so on.

Thanks for the reviews, leeland88 and meki. Love reading them. xD

And Gokudera/Kaia fluff? Well, that will come…in time. xD

And is he jealous? Well, meki, I'm guessing he would be. A lot more, that is, in the future. :]

Heh, oh well, anyway, back to the subject.

Happy Reading, everyone, and please review!!

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Night had fallen already. Ominous, solitary lights flickered from windows of buildings throughout the apartment complex, dancing about and scattering their light across the streets below. Gokudera's front door swung open, and the teenager strolled out, on his way to his dinner appointment with Juudaime. But he stopped before Kaia's door. He still doesn't know if Kaia is okay, and moreover, she doesn't know that she was invited as well. So, naturally, Gokudera gave the door a solitary knock.

He knocked again, this time a little louder.

"W-Who's there?" came a muffled voice on the other side of the door.

"M-Me – Gokudera," replied the Storm Guardian, still looking intently at the door. It opened, revealing Kaia, entirely unharmed and apparently rested and well. However, it didn't seem that she even touched her bandages – the one on her head was still where it was yesterday.

"Juudaime invited you to dinner as well," muttered Gokudera. "Y-You didn't know, so…I came to tell you."

"Ahh, is that so? [ahh, sou-kaa?]" Kaia blinked. She tilted her head and scrunched her eyebrows in a tight knot. "When is it?"

"I'd say around now, if we get going sometime soon," Gokudera replied, choosing his words carefully.

"A-nd… Who's Juudaime?" Kaia was utterly clueless, and he regarded her with a raised eyebrow.

"S-Sawada Tsunayoshi; he's in our class, if you remember…" he muttered.

"Oh-okay… But-" began Kaia, but she fell silent. "I-I'll be coming in a second. Wait." She disappeared into the gloom again – none of the lights inside her apartment had been turned on. When she came back out, she had her cell phone in hand. "I don't quite know what to do with this, but I think it's best if I hold onto it, you think?" She smiled a bit, and stepped out of her apartment, locking the door shut with her keys.

She stuck her keys and cell phone in her jacket pocket and looked up to Gokudera.

"And where exactly is…Tsuna-san's…house?"

Gokudera shrugged and began his descent down the staircase. Kaia hurried after him, but took care not to strain herself.

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There was a knock on the door, and the door bell echoed throughout the two-story house. The rich smell of food drifted out of the open windows to the street outside, as the merry humming of Tsuna's mother joined with the song of the kettle, the singing pots, and the whistling of the oven. Above all that, the racket of clanging pots and pans paired up with the squeals and shouts of children. A vein mark appeared on Gokudera's head.

"AHHH! I-I'll get that!" Tsuna rushed to the door, and Gokudera jumped back, away from the door in horror as the door suddenly made such a loud thud. The door swung open, and it revealed Tsuna, panting heavily.

"Gomenasaii [Sorry]…" breathed Tsuna. He cracked a weak smile.

"Juudaime! Are you okay?!"

"Fine," nodded Tsuna. His face turned into one of concern. "Ehh, Gokudera-kun, why is Raiahu-san…sleeping on your back?!" He eyed Kaia, whose arms were hanging limp on Gokudera's shoulders, and her eyes were shut, as if asleep, on one of his shoulders.

"She got tired," Gokudera muttered. "She gets tired all the time now…" He sighed. "But, she shouldn't burden the Tenth!!" Gokudera beamed. "And I won't allow you to be burdened!!"

Tsuna smiled, and chuckled a little.

"Dinner is going to be in around half an hour, since kaa-san thought more people will be coming…" He was interrupted.

"And there will be," interjected Reborn, appearing at Tsuna's feet.

"EHH-"

"NYAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAAAH!! Lambo-san is going to eat all the food!! It's all **mine**!!"

"No, Lambo…be fair!! Share the food!!" Both Lambo and I-Pin came running to the door and stopped.

"Ehh? Isn't that Kaia?" Lambo grinned. "Hnnn~ More food for me to steal!! NYAHAHAHAHAHAHAAH!!" He ran off again.

"No, Lambo!!" I-Pin followed after the Bovino. Fuuta joined Tsuna at the front door now.

"Look [horaa], who's that??" Fuuta looked up curiously.

"Hey, hey, we shouldn't have Gokudera-kun stand out here all day…" said Tsuna. He ushered Fuuta to go to the kitchen to check up on the food, and he let Gokudera in. The Storm Guardian entered, and Juudaime gingerly shut the door.

"L-Let's put her on the couch," said Tsuna, motioning to another room. "There wouldn't be anyone to w-wake her up…" He all too well remembered that fact from their meet with Soto. He opened the door to that room, and Gokudera followed him inside.

"Is this like…a guest room?" guessed Gokudera.

"Sort of," answered Tsuna. "Here." He pointed to a couch in the room, and left again to get a blanket. Gokudera put Kaia down on the couch. Shortly after, Tsuna came back with a blanket and put it over Kaia. Then, they abruptly left.

Just in time.

"Hey." A familiar person strolled into the room.

"Y-You invited baseball-freak?!" gaped Gokudera. "You have got to be kidding!!"

"No, I'm not," answered Reborn. "I don't think anyone else would be coming, though." He paused, but continued. "Consider this a way of paying back the catering Yamamoto and his father did the other day." He nodded, completely agreeing with himself.

"Dinner's going to be in fifteen minutes," informed Bianchi. Gokudera blanched at the sight, and he collapsed due to stomach problems.

"Ah- Gokudera-kun!!"

"Woahhhh, Gokudera, you okay?!"

"Will there be poison cooking for dinner?" asked Reborn, smirking.

"Half of it will be," smiled Bianchi. She looked to Tsuna, Yamamoto, and Gokudera. "Hope you guys enjoy~!" With that, she left to finish her cooking in the kitchen. Tsuna's face turned deathly pale. Yamamoto, on the other hand, smiled and looked to Tsuna with a raised eyebrow.

"Are you okay…Tsuna?"

"She actually didn't make anything poisonous this time," said Reborn. "Anything she makes with love, to Bianchi, is considered poison cooking. It's just that whenever she thinks of her ex-boyfriend or anything anywhere close to that, the food really gets dangerous." The color on Tsuna's face gradually returned. But he looked to Gokudera.

"A-Are you okay, Gokudera-kun?!"

"N-No…I'm fine…" he groaned. He picked himself up. "I'm fine… I won't burden Juudaime!!" He was still a little pale, but he was fine. Tsuna sweatdropped a bit, but he was glad his friend was fine.

"Okay…so now what?" blinked Tsuna. And out of nowhere in particular, there was a kick aimed at his head.

"OWW!! Reborn!!" cried Tsuna. "What was that for?!"

"You still have make-up homework to do," the Arcobaleno said.

"Fine, fine…" sighed Tsuna, and he headed up the stairs to his room. Both Gokudera and Yamamoto followed him up.

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The next scene will be fun. Homework isn't typically fun, but it is fun watching Tsuna do it. :]

Thanks for reading, everyone, and please review!

Have an awesome summer, everyone!!


	66. HomeWorking Part 1

Welcome back! :]

Thanks so much for reading the previous scenes, and to those who just skip ahead, welcome! :D

Anyway, thanks to leeland88, the scoreboard has been changed yet again!!

Mukuro/Kaia: 8 [and 5 re-votes from Shin] [one of the votes are from Shoko-Chan, and she re-votes twice]

Mukuro/Kaia **with a Hibari twist**: 1 [and 3 re-votes from Shoko-Chan]

**Gokudera/Kaia: 4** [and 1 1/2 re-votes from Shin] [another re-vote from Crazee4anime]

Hibari/Haruka: 2 [and another re-vote from Shin]

Yamamoto/Chrome: 2 [and 2 re-votes from Shin] [and a re-vote from Banyou]

**Hibari/Kaia: 2**

**Belphegor/Kaia: 2**

**Soto/Kaia: 1**

Byakuran/Kaia: 1

Though 59OC has been catching up a little, 69OC still remains in the lead! Even so, pairings with less votes have appeared earlier in the story, such as 18OC… :D

Well, thanks to those who reviewed, and etc. etc. Anyway, this scene is entertaining. Heh. xD

Have fun reading, and please review~!!

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The future Boss of the Vongola family groaned with frustration.

"I don't get it!!" he sighed. "I just don't get it!!"

"J-Juudaime, it makes perfect sense if you understand! L-Let me explain a little more…"

"Okay…" nodded Tsuna. He looked to Gokudera.

"Hmm. Okay. So number one says to solve f(x)= 2x2+5x+3, right?" began Gokudera. "And to make f(x)=0. That means, by law of the substitution property, that 2x2+5x+3 must equal 0."

"…how does that work?" said the clueless Tsuna.

"It's like if a=b and b=c, so a would equal c," chimed in Yamamoto.

"Like you know anything, baseball-freak!" growled Gokudera. "But he is right – that's the substitution property. a=b, b=c, and therefore a=c. But if we replace a, b, and c with other things, it might make it easier. Like…2x2+5x+3=f(x). f(x)=0. That's like a=b and b=c. So, if you make 2x2+5x+3 be a, and 0 be c, it would be 2x2+5x+3=0."

"Okay…" nodded Tsuna. "I think I get it…"

"We'd just have to make 2x2+5x+3=0, right?" grinned Yamamoto. Gokudera rolled his eyes.

"Juudaime, you know how to factor 2x2+5x+3?"

"Uhhh…no…" Tsuna bowed his head in embarrassment.

"It's okay, Juudaime!! I'll explain more!!" beamed Gokudera.

"No, it isn't," Reborn interrupted again. "It's time for dinner." Once he said this, the three teenagers fell silent.

"Dinner-time~!" came a soft, muffled cry. It was Tsuna's mother.

"Ah- coming, kaa-san!!" yelled Tsuna, dashing out of the room and tripping down the stairs. Gokudera and Yamamoto followed behind, and actually made it down without injury or incident. Lambo and I-Pin ran at full speed to the kitchen, each saving their own spots at the table. Fuuta followed up behind, but still before Tsuna and his two Guardians. Reborn was at the table as well, and Tsuna was at a loss for explaining how he got there so quickly.

Kaia was also in the kitchen, very well alive and well.

"Ehh, Raiahu-san, you're up already?" blinked Tsuna. He smiled. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Y-Yeah…I'm fine…" Kaia smiled back and she returned to whatever she was doing – to the three boys' shock, it was helping Bianchi prepare the food. Nana, Tsuna's mom, beamed with pride with the food, and sat down at her table. Lambo, I-Pin, and Fuuta were already in their seats, and the three boys hurried to sit down as well.

On the table, there was, surprisingly, a turkey. It was stuffed with, of course, stuffing, and to the side there was a bowl of steamed veggies. There was much, much, more, but that was basically what took up most of the space on the rather small and cramped table. Kaia and Bianchi also sat down. Now, Tsuna sat at the end of the table. To his left, sat Yamamoto. To Tsuna's right, Gokudera sat. Kaia sat to Gokudera's right, and past her, nearest to farthest, sat Lambo, I-Pin, and Fuuta. To Yamamoto's left, sat Reborn and Bianchi. Nana, Tsuna's mom, sat at the other end.

Surprisingly, Lambo didn't rush to eat, as he usually would do. I-Pin was calm as well, and Fuuta sat calm and comfortable in his seat. Reborn had his chopsticks in his hand, ready to dig in. Bianchi sat with her hands under the table, doing nothing much. Gokduera apparently didn't do anything, as everyone else did. Yamamoto was just grinning as usual, and Tsuna decided to just follow everyone's actions – be silent.

That lasted for one moment, however. Before anyone had a chance to eat anything, Kaia made them look up in surprise.

"Itadakimasu…"

Her small voice reached even Tsuna's mother at the end. Typically, Lambo would be too impatient to eat, and the meal would usually go about without anyone remembering to say Idikimasu. But, Kaia remembered. Lambo was sitting quietly in his seat, which was strangely unnatural. He, even if there were guests, wouldn't have the manners to restrain himself. Nana smiled.

"Well, then, itadakimasuu~!" And she dug into the food. Kaia did so as well; then the table burst with shouts of "idikimasu!!" and so then dinner noisily began.

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That was interesting. More will be coming next scene!! xD

Please review, dear readers! I'd love that~!

Have an awesome summer [break] everyone!!


	67. HomeWorking Part 2

Heh, thanks so much for the reviews~!

And thank you, Yonaka Takai, for correcting my mistake… xD

Also, there have been votes, so the scoreboard is updated again!

Mukuro/Kaia: 8 [and 5 re-votes from Shin] [one of the votes are from Shoko-Chan, and she re-votes twice]

Mukuro/Kaia **with a Hibari twist**: 1 [and 3 re-votes from Shoko-Chan]

**Gokudera/Kaia: 4** [and 1 1/2 re-votes from Shin] [another re-vote from Crazee4anime]

Hibari/Haruka: 2 [and another re-vote from Shin]

Yamamoto/Chrome: 2 [and 2 re-votes from Shin] [and a re-vote from Banyou]

**Hibari/Kaia: 3**

**Belphegor/Kaia: 2**

**Soto/Kaia: 1**

Byakuran/Kaia: 1

Xanxus/Kaia: 1

Yes, the new added votes include a Hibari/Kaia vote, which is catching up to Gokudera/Kaia! And there is an addition: Xanxus/Kaia. And I do agree with Yonaka Takai; it will be interesting. :D

And that~one, apparently you aren't really alone…there are two other people who voted for that… xD

Thanks, everyone, for reading, too~! :]

Happy Reading, and please review! And vote!

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Dinner was fulfilling to the stomach – everyone was well aware of that. Tsuna retreated back into his room to finish his make-up homework – Gokudera and Yamamoto followed him up into his room.

"Okay! Now – how to factor 2x^2+5x+3!" beamed Gokudera. "Okay, then, let's start with replacing the variable with a random number. Let's start with an easy number, like…one! Okay, then, it would then be 2(1)(1)+5(1)+3, which is 2+5+3, which equals 10. What are the factors of ten, then? That would be… 2 and 5, right? Then- wait… If you factor 2x^2+5x+3 into (2x+3)(x+1), then- yeah, if x=1, and 2x^2+5x+3=10, then 2x+3=5 (which is 2(1)+3=5) and x+1=2 (which is (1)+1=2). Ah, okay. Then, according the zero property of multiplication, either 2x+3 or x+1 must be 0. So then either 2x+3=0 or x+1=0. Then, you would solve for x. Simple, right, Juudaime?"

Much to his surprise, Tsuna was completely lost. Gokudera blinked.

"Sh-Should I write it down on…paper…? It'd probably be easier that way…"

"N-No…that's fine… I think it's better if you do an example for me…so I'd probably figure it out that way…" Tsuna shook his head. "Why wouldn't Reborn help?! He's my tutor, for goodness's sake!!" Gokudera snatched a pad from nowhere and a pencil from nowhere and began to write furiously on the paper. Tsuna feared the paper would rip.

"Well, personally, I'd go by looking at the formula," smiled Yamamoto. "The formula's ax^2+bx+c, right? And if ax^2+bx+c equal these random two factors, they'd have some way of calculating it, right? Well then it would be (a1x+c1)(a2x+c2). If it's that way, then a1×a2=a, and c1×c2=c. Also, a1c2+a2c1=b."

"Gahhhhh!!" Tsuna ran his hands through his hair in exasperation. "I don't get it!!" He looked up. "Even you get it!" Suddenly, Gokudera shoved the pad he had been scribbling on into his Boss's face. Tsuna took it and looked at it. He blinked a few times.

2x^2+5x+3=(2x+3)(x+1)=0

2x+3=0; 2x=-3; x=-3/2

x+1=0; x=-1

2(-3/2)(-3/2)+5(-3/2)+3=9/2-15/2+6/2=9/2+6/2-15/2=15/2-15/2=0

2(-1)(-1)+5(-1)+3=2-5+3=2+3-5=5-5=0

x=-3/2 or -1

"Do you get it now, Juudaime?" smiled Gokudera. Tsuna was overwhelmed. He hadn't a single idea how to factor it – Gokudera didn't help him at all in that part.

"Uhh…" Tsuna daren't say anything else, and Gokudera got the message. He sighed and thought a little more.

"Then…what about this – you multiply these two values-" Gokudera pointed to 2x and x. "-together to get this." He pointed to 2x^2. "You make this and this, multiplied together-" He pointed, this time, to 3 and 1 in the binomials. "-equal this." Gokudera pointed to the 3 in the quadratic. "And you make this, multiplied together-" He pointed to the 3 and the x in the binomials. "-and this multiplied together-" He pointed to the 2x and the 1 in the binomials. "-added together become this." He pointed to 5x. "Get it?"

"Sort of…" frowned Tsuna. He blinked. "Okay, so for number two, which is f(x)=x^2+6x+9, it's about the same thing…?"

"Yeah," nodded Gokudera. "C-Can you do that, Juudaime?"

"Uhh…s-sure, I think…" Tsuna narrowed his eyes and scrunched his eyebrows together in concentration. "So…I have to get two factors of x^2 first, right? Then, it's… either x^2 and 1 or x and x… Okay then, it's going to be x^2 and 1…" He wrote that on his paper.

"Eh- Juudaime, t-that isn't quite right… because i-if you make it x^2 and 1, then how do you get this one out?" Gokudera pointed to the 6x.

"Ohh…" blinked Tsuna. "So that's going to be x and x, right? Okay. Umm… and then… what are the factors of…6x?" Tsuna erased the x^2 and the 1.

"Of 9, Juudaime. Of 9…" blinked Gokudera. Despite himself, he began to think it was hopeless. However, he shoved that thought out of his head – Juudaime saved his life! How could he be hopeless?!

"So, the factors of 9 are… 9 and 1, and 3 and 3, right?" chimed in Yamamoto. Gokudera glared at him.

"R-Right," Tsuna looked down to his paper again. "Then…is it… 9 and 1? Or is it 3 and 3? Wait… 9 and 1 equal 10, and 3 and 3 equal 6, right? So…it's 3 and 3, r-right? Is it?"

"Y-Yeah!!" Gokudera's face lit up. Juudaime got it!!

"Okay…so it's… um… Is it x3 and x3?" Tsuna frowned. "For some reason it looks weird…" Gokudera mentally face-palmed himself.

"It's x plus 3, which is one, solitary value, multiplied by x+3, which is also a single value. Put parentheses around the (x+3)'s."

All three teenagers looked to the door.

"Hi…" Kaia shyly smiled. "I was getting a little bored downstairs, and Reborn said you guys were doing homework. I figured I would go home, but I probably would get lost again." She frowned, and Gokudera's expression fell. Kaia walked over to them, huddled around the low table, and she sat down with them, to Gokudera's right and to Yamamoto's left, directly opposite of Tsuna.

"What are you guys working on, right now?" she smiled. "I think I already finished the quadratics page this afternoon."

"Ah, really?" Tsuna's face lit up with hope. "Then can you help me too?"

"Sure," beamed Kaia. "What do you need help on?"

"Umm…Well…" Tsuna chuckled nervously. "I-I don't know how to factor…"

"Can you multiply binomials though?" blinked Kaia. "If you do, then it's easier – do the opposite, reverse the process."

"Err…I-I don't know how to either…" Tsuna laughed in embarrassment. "C-Can you help me learn it?"

"Sure. You two, too, if you don't know," Kaia addressed both Gokudera and Yamamoto. "I've got a feeling you know, though, Gokudera-san, since you've been explaining that much… I even heard your voice downstairs…"

Gokudera nodded.

"Thought so," huffed Kaia. "Well, I'll give you a simple example. (x+1)(x+1), then." She wrote that down on another page of the paper pad Gokudera had. "There. Now, how do you get that, you ask? There's actually multiple ways. I'll show you one. First, use the distributive property." She wrote on the paper again. "Now, (x+1)(x+1) is x(x+1)+1(x+1). But the one cancels out there." She re-wrote the expression. "x(x+1)+(x+1). Now, use the distributive property again, so it's x^2+x+x+1. And then combine like terms, so x+x is 2x. So the final quadratic is x^2+2x+1. Get it?"

"Ohhhh…" blinked Tsuna. He gave Kaia a grateful smile. "I get it, sort of…" Gokudera gaped. He hadn't a clue how Kaia got that, but it worked, like a miracle. Like how Lambo actually behaved, like… everything.

"Now, about factoring. It's just a big term that refers to the opposite of multiplying binomials like that. It's like division – 3(4)=12=4(3). You multiply it out into the product, and then you convert it back into separate factors. Now, to get that…" Kaia smiled. "I think it's best if you do the multiplying binomials page first." She looked to Gokudera.

"Actually, I didn't hear absolutely everything you've explained, but I think it makes sense too. It's just that…you have to put it in a way that is easy to understand and so that the other person understands perfectly based on previous knowledge…" Kaia beamed. "And in math, you can't skip the rungs in the ladder. Skipping parts to it just brings trouble later, when the rungs get farther and farther away from each other…" Her expression became one of deep thought and longing, as if she were wondrously sophisticated and complex. She shook her head.

"Sorry; did you understand that at all? No, you probably didn't…" Kaia smiled an apologetic smile to the three confused boys. "Sorry."

"It's fine," Gokudera, surprisingly spoke first. "Juudaime, why don't you…get started on that homework? The sooner you finish, the better!!"

"Auuh," nodded Tsuna, and he dug out the paper from the rather formidable pile of make-up homework. He glanced on the first thing he saw. "Ehhh?! The paper explains everything already!!"

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A sad conclusion to Gokudera's efforts to teach Juudaime to do simple algebra. Actually, come to think of it, I wrote this when I, myself, was learning it. Which was in April…? Probably the end of April, when we all get to the f(x) and function stuff. :D

Poor Tsuna this time. Heh. xD

Tune in next time, everyone, and pleae review and vote!

Have an awesome summer [break] everyone! xD


	68. Time to Go

Hey, everyone, thanks for reading up to this point~!! :D

Oh yeah, someone voted again! Thanks to that~one! Yes, re-voting is allowed. And here's the scoreboard again:

Mukuro/Kaia: 8 [and 5 re-votes from Shin] [one of the votes are from Shoko-Chan, and she re-votes twice]

Mukuro/Kaia **with a Hibari twist**: 1 [and 3 re-votes from Shoko-Chan]

**Gokudera/Kaia: 4** [and 1 1/2 re-votes from Shin] [another re-vote from Crazee4anime]

Hibari/Haruka: 2 [and another re-vote from Shin]

Yamamoto/Chrome: 2 [and 2 re-votes from Shin] [and a re-vote from Banyou]

**Hibari/Kaia: 3 **[a re-vote from that~one]

**Belphegor/Kaia: 2**

**Soto/Kaia: 1**

Byakuran/Kaia: 1

Xanxus/Kaia: 1

Thanks for the reviews, everyone! I've been really happy reading them all. Heh.

Happy Reading, everyone, and please review~!!

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"Well, you've finished two worksheets already!!" cheered Kaia. She yawned. "And it's nearly ten… I should be getting home…" Kaia looked to Gokudera. "But I can't leave if you're still here." Her eyes drooped from exhaustion.

"Ahh, Juudaime, is it okay if I go now?" asked Gokudera. Tsuna nodded and yawned.

"I think I should get to bed too then…"

"Then I'll be going too!" smirked Yamamoto. "I'll see you guys tomorrow morning for school then~!" He stood up, as Kaia stood up, along with Gokudera.

"Jaa, good night," smiled Kaia. She stretched and yawned again. "I'll be seeing you guys later then, hmmm? Tomorrow's school, right?" She looked around and left the room, along with Yamamoto.

"See you later, Juudaime!!" beamed Gokudera, and with a wave, he left as well.

"Dame-Tsuna," called Reborn.

"Eh-" Tsuna turned his head.

***thwack***

"W-What was that for?!" complained Tsuna, rubbing his head.

"Two worksheets, two and a half hours?! That's a new record, I'm sure," remarked Reborn. He sighed. "Get to work. If you don't finish by 11, lock-down tomorrow."

"ACK!" paled Tsuna. He was deathly afraid of lock-downs, and he had one only once. A lock-down was when Reborn locks Tsuna in his room to do what the tutor says, surrounded with various dangerous and lethal traps and explosives. And on top of that, each of the explosives have timers.

And by now, Tsuna had learned that not all timers were accurate. And that led to the time the bombs that exploded half an hour after the timer hit zero, and other bombs that went _BOOM_ an hour before Doomsday.

"Get to work!!" ordered Reborn, shaking Tsuna from his daydreaming.

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"Oii, Yamamoto-san~? Your dad runs the Takesushi shop, right?" blinked Kaia. "I've heard of it…" She looked up at Yamamoto, who was at her right. Gokudera walked on silently to her left.

"Really?" Yamamoto smiled down at her. "Drop by sometime then, okay?" Kaia looked uneasy. Gokudera clenched his teeth but continued walking as if nothing happened.

"Well…I don't know exactly where it is…" Kaia frowned. Yamamoto chuckled.

"Oh yeah, you're sort of new here in Namimori, right? I can take you there after school, if you want."

"As if she'd want to come after school, baseball idiot!!" Gokudera rolled his eyes. "She still didn't finish all her make-up homework, anyway."

"Y-Yeah…" nodded Kaia. She lowered her gaze back to her eye level, back to see what was in front of her. Nothing was perceivable aside from street lights, walls, and various vegetation peeking up over the brick walls.

_Ushi-shi-shi-shi…_

She suddenly halted.

_So principessa got bodyguards?_

Gokudera and Yamamoto, both confused and surprised, stopped as well, one step ahead of Kaia.

_That's so cruel, considering that I wanted to see you again…_

_U-shi-shi-shi-shi…_

_I'll be back then, principessa~~_

"I-It's the prince…" whispered Kaia. Both Guardians turned to face Kaia in confusion.

"What do you mean?" Gokudera's eyes were narrowed angrily. "What do you mean by the prince?"

"Y-You didn't hear that?" blinked Kaia. She looked back into the gloom. "I'm pretty sure I heard something…" _Something like words, like…__**that**__._

"Oh well, it might just be a bird with a nightmare," shrugged Yamamoto. He looked around cautiously. "Are you okay though, Kaia?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine," Kaia shrugged it off a little nervously and continued to walk, head bowed and in deep thought. Gokudera was concerned, however hid it well. If Yamamoto suspected as well, he's likely to voice it to Juudaime, of course.

They continued to walk in silence. Nothing else happened, but Kaia was still on edge. They came to a crossroads, and street lights intertwined with each other's light. It was a spotlight, in a way, and the three stood in its center. Kaia was visibly nervous.

"Jaa, it's time for me to part ways, Gokudera, Kaia," smiled Yamamoto. "I'll see you guys tomorrow, then!" With a last smile, he turned and disappeared into the gloom, walking down the right fork. Kaia gave him a small good-bye smile, and it gradually disappeared as he left her in the light. Gokudera looked down to Kaia.

"Come on, it's time we got home, too," Gokudera said gently. "It's late, too, and tomorrow's school. Come on." Kaia looked up, fear stubbornly refusing to leave her heart.

_Is he…one of them, too?_

She sighed and nodded as if she were very tired, as Gokudera's arm found itself on Kaia's shoulder.

"Come on."

And they walked on.

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That was really creepy. :]

Heh, cute ending. :D

Anyway, please review! And that~one, Hibari/Kaia will be coming, so please have some patience. :]

Have an awesome summer [break] everyone! :D


	69. Sakura and Yuuki

Ahh, thanks for coming back to read this next scene! :D

Thanks for the reviews, Meki, little-L.A.M., and Aka Mizu-Chan! And since little-L.A.M. voted as well, here is the updated scoreboard!

Mukuro/Kaia: 8 [and 5 re-votes from Shin] [one of the votes are from Shoko-Chan, and she re-votes twice]

Mukuro/Kaia **with a Hibari twist**: 1 [and 3 re-votes from Shoko-Chan]

**Gokudera/Kaia: 5** [and 1 1/2 re-votes from Shin] [another re-vote from Crazee4anime]

Hibari/Haruka: 2 [and another re-vote from Shin]

Yamamoto/Chrome: 2 [and 2 re-votes from Shin] [and a re-vote from Banyou]

**Hibari/Kaia: 3 **[a re-vote from that~one]

**Belphegor/Kaia: 2**

**Soto/Kaia: 1**

Byakuran/Kaia: 1

Xanxus/Kaia: 1

Woah, Gokudera/Kaia is gradually increasing…nearly up to Mukuro/Kaia. Well, then again, adding in the re-votes, the scoreboard will look like this:

Mukuro/Kaia: 15

Mukuro/Kaia **with a Hibari twist**: 4

**Gokudera/Kaia: 6 1/2**

Hibari/Haruka: 3

Yamamoto/Chrome: 5

**Hibari/Kaia: 4**

**Belphegor/Kaia: 2**

**Soto/Kaia: 1**

Byakuran/Kaia: 1

Xanxus/Kaia: 1

Still a little far off, by 8½ votes, taking into account the re-voting. But still, it's catching up. From the looks of this, this is how the story will probably turn out:

Mukuro/Kaia: Final Pairing, and the story will finish off with this pairing

Mukuro/Kaia with a Hibari twist: please see entry Mukuro/Kaia

Gokudera/Kaia: will persist, however end before the end of the story

Hibari/Haruka: will not be portrayed, I'm sorry. I'm not really following Haruka after middle school, except for a few chance meetings, if there are any.

Yamamoto/Chrome: will come as the side-pairing, and will fade into the story gradually

Hibari/Kaia: I'll do some more of this during the Millifore Arc and a little bit after, but will end shortly after

Belphegor/Kaia: since the Varia are still being punished by the Ninth for the Cradle Affair and the Ring Battles, this pairing will not come in until later, long after the Millifore Arc

Soto/Kaia: likely to be unrequited in a romantic way [I can't really think of a way of showing this pairing D: any ideas?]

Byakuran/Kaia: will come in much later in the story, since we won't see Byakuran that much during the Millifore Arc

Xanxus/Kaia: please see entry Belphegor/Kaia; also, by the time I actually get around to writing this one, Kaia won't really be that young anymore… And if it's pedo, ask Xanxus about it. :D

Oh yeah, Mukuro/Kaia will be coming sometime soon, and I think I can tell you guys that the Millifore Arc will be coming at around scene 80 or 90. Enough Mukuro/Kaia for you? Heh. And sorry, I'll try to update quickly, but not too much. For those who think the storyline is moving much too slowly, tell me. I can fix that. :D

I'm thinking of finalizing the votes sometime soon, though I don't really want to.

Well, let's see how many people are voted to be with Kaia: Mukuro, Gokudera, Hibari, Bel[phegor], Soto, Byakuran, Xanxus. Seven people. I am not that sure that a girl like Kaia can like seven guys at the same time. Again, **poor girl**. ^^`

There are two pairings in the scoreboard that are unrelated to Kaia. Hibari/Haruka and Yamamoto/Chrome. Quite a comparison.

If you still want to vote/re-vote for your favorite pairing[s], this is the time! :D

And for the record, I think I've reached scene 140 now, or probably a lot more, now that I'm up to more than a 50k word count on scene 101. And yes, I should split them up now, but apparently I'm a little lazy. xD

Also, I'm starting a collaboration with Yume Suzuhara, who is one of my classmates and has been in my elementary school and class[es]. She's a really close friend, and the collaboration's first chapter will be coming out soon.

Woah, this headnote is turning out to be much longer than I planned it to be… [Not that I plan these notes, of course. It's just a place to talk a little. xD]

I should let you readers read and not get bored reading all of this writing that isn't part of the story.

And a reminder, if you guys have forgotten: it's the first day of school after the end of the Ring Battles.

Happy Reading, everyone, and please review [and vote too]!!

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"Raiahu Kaiashi!!"

"Here."

Yes, it was Monday, and school was just beginning. Kaia was on time to school today, and it looked like she was going to be coming more frequently. Kaia was still covered in bandages. People would occasionally glance at her, but she apparently wasn't the only one. That extreme runner boasted a broken arm, for starters. Gokudera still had random little bandages on his face and arms, and Yamamoto wore that eye cover to school today. Apparently he didn't really need that eye cover on Sunday because it was dark enough so that it wouldn't have made any difference. Kaia didn't see Hibari today, but the school was passing along rumors that Hibari Kyouya was actually wearing a Band-Aid, if not multiple. Tsuna also had random little bandages, but weren't seen on either Sunday or today, because he both wore long sleeves and pants that went down to his ankles.

"Did you finish your make-up homework, Sawada, Gokudera, Raiahu, Yamamoto?!" called the teacher.

"Yeahh," yawned Gokudera.

"Yes, teacher! [Hai, senseii!]" called Tsuna. [LOL, the English sounded so cheesy, I had to add the Japanese. Sorry.]

"I did~!" grinned Yamamoto. There was a pause, where Kaia was supposed to say she finished.

"I-I didn't, sorry, teacher… [gomenasai, sensei…]" Kaia apologized in a small but audible voice, shy but rebellious. The teacher was displeased.

"If you don't turn it in by tomorrow, you get detention!" boomed the teacher.

"Haii," nodded Kaia, fear etched into her face. Gokudera felt sorry for her – it was Hibari again.

Again, the lesson went by quickly. The lessons, actually, flew by like the sparrow would fly.

It was lunch time, but, Kaia didn't leap out of her chair, or cry out. She knew, but just knew by instinct and by feel, that she hadn't the energy to do any of that. She was allowed to skip physical education as well, because of her mysterious lack of energy. But it was lunch now, and most of the students leaped out of their seats as if they were electrified, rushing out of the room to eat lunch with friends.

Kaia didn't really want to make friends here. The girls she saw here, well, Kaia's learned enough about them to know that they probably don't accept outsiders as readily as they accept foreigners. However, there was one that approached her nervously now.

"H-Hi, Raiahu-san. Unless you like to be called Kaia… I'm Satsuroka Yuuki, and me and my friend, Menairou Sakura, w-want you to eat lunch with us, so please? We want you to feel…welcome…in our school, so, so, would you like to eat with us?" smiled the long, black-haired girl. Kaia blinked at her boldness.

"S-Sure…if it's that fine with you two…" Kaia said, after a moment's consideration. Hanging around boys too much wouldn't be a good influence on her, anyway. Kaia forced herself to smile – even if these kids could be bullies in reality, it feels nice to be invited to eat with someone, and one should be grateful for it. "Where do we eat then? I like eating… on swings, or beside windows, or under trees, or just somewhere with this good…good feeling about it."

"Fine by me," beamed Yuuki, and who Kaia assumed to be Sakura, came by. Yuuki turned to the girl.

"Saku-chaan, Kaia's going to be eating with us~!" Yuuki told Sakura. She faced Kaia. "You can just call me Yuuki, or whatever you want. This is Menairou Sakura, and you can call her whatever you want to, too. As long as they're not offending, right?"

"S-Sure…" Kaia smiled shyly. "So you're Satsuroka Yuuki, and Menairou Sakura…" Kaia nodded. "Okay, I've got down your names. Thanks." She stood up. "So where're we eating?"

"We usually eat in the hallway…" Sakura chuckled. She was black-haired as well, but it was short. "Are you fine with that?"

"I'm fine with that…I think…" answered Kaia. She blinked, as both students suddenly whipped around, knocking her back into her seat. They slowly faced Kaia again, amazement clearly reflected in their expressions.

"K-Kaia…"

"Di-Did you ever notice anyone looking at you during class?" Both classmates looked as if they were to explode in some type of joy. Kaia was completely clueless; nevertheless, she numbly nodded.

"I-It was Gokudera!!" squealed Sakura.

"He probably really likes you," Yuuki grinned crazily. "I wonder when he'd…confess…" She erupted into giggles, as well as Sakura. Kaia blinked. But after a moment, everything registered. First, she blushed a deep shade of pink, but she immediately paled. Sakura and Yuuki stopped giggling and looked curiously at Kaia.

"A-Are you okay, Kaia?" frowned Yuuki. Kaia just looked at her and remained silent.

"I-I'm fine," Kaia shrugged it off and fiercely whispered, "What do you mean he really likes me?!" She looked around the classroom, but Gokudera wasn't there anymore.

"He looks it," Sakura grinned like a complete idiot. "He's got a crush on you!! It's really hard to even get his attention when he's around Dame-Tsuna." She rolled her eyes. "It's like he worships the very ground he walks on." Both girls laughed at the absurdity of the thought. Kaia shook her head.

"Tsuna…he has a lot of potential, I can tell. But Gokudera-san…" Kaia sighed. "What do you mean it's hard to get his attention?"

"He hates every one of us girls – he thinks we're stupid or something," huffed Yuuki. "Last year, he didn't even glance at all the girls that offered home-made chocolate for Valentine's Day." Sakura nodded solemnly.

"He's really disrespectful, except when it comes to Tsuna," frowned Sakura. "But Gokudera's so handsome~!" Her frown did a back-flip. "Ahhhh~! Only if he would go out with me…" She drifted off into her own wonderland. Yuuki looked at Sakura and sighed.

"She had a crush on him since last year, when he came. She's part of the Gokudera fan-club, and she wanted to give him a box of chocolates. Of course, she got rejected like everyone else," explained Yuuki. "Like her, all of the members of the Gokudera fan-club just want him to be their boyfriend. The problem is, the club's just too big." She sighed. Kaia was surprised.

A guy like that, it was hard to imagine a fan-club of him.

Kaia sighed. It wasn't of love, or of love fantasies, but of the fact that Gokudera was another addition to _them_. She was deathly afraid of them; each of them were a literal death threat to her. But, still, she could see at least a sliver of good in them – hope wasn't lost, but they still can kill.

"I'm feeling hungry. Let's just go eat then, Sakura, Yuuki," stated Kaia.

"A-Ah, sure!!" beamed Sakura. "Come on!!" The three girls exited the classroom.

Had they noticed a pair of glinting eyes in the shadows, they would have immediately stopped talking about Gokudera.

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Ahh~ It's another Guess-Who-Is-That-Unknown-Person!! :]

As you can guess from that long hyphenated word, you can guess who that unknown person is. xD

This time, though, I won't give you clues for free.

Thanks for reading, everyone, and please review!

Have an awesome summer [break]!!


	70. Permission to Talk

Hello, everyone, and thanks so much for reading up to this point!

Thanks to RemStrike78, the scoreboard is updated! [again] Hehe. xD

Mukuro/Kaia: 8 [and 5 re-votes from Shin] [one of the votes are from Shoko-Chan, and she re-votes twice]

Mukuro/Kaia **with a Hibari twist**: 1 [and 3 re-votes from Shoko-Chan]

**Gokudera/Kaia: 5** [and 1 1/2 re-votes from Shin] [another re-vote from Crazee4anime]

Hibari/Haruka: 2 [and another re-vote from Shin]

Yamamoto/Chrome: 2 [and 2 re-votes from Shin] [and a re-vote from Banyou]

**Hibari/Kaia: 3 **[a re-vote from that~one]

**Belphegor/Kaia: 3**

**Soto/Kaia: 1**

Byakuran/Kaia: 1

Xanxus/Kaia: 1

Woah, now Bel and Hibari are tied. No wonder Hibari really wants revenge. :]

Oh well, I think it's time to tell everyone who that person was. Remember? The person in the shadows, with the shiny eyes, and all evil-looking and everything? Actually, I'd like to go back to Mr. Shady Guy in scene 10, Shadows are Stalkers. They're the same person. And remember, last scene was scene number 69, featuring…

Yeap, it's him.

Mukuro.

And I thought it'd be nice, since he's the only one that can stalk people without being there, and to honor the fact that Mukuro/Kaia votes are the highest by far.

Anyway, Happy Reading, and please review!!

Back to the story.

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The bell rang again. School was done for the day.

"Remember, all homework assigned today is due tomorrow!!" shouted the teacher, as the shuffling and chaos of the hurrying students drowned out his voice. Sakura and Yuuki went ahead as well, clearly remembering the day Hibari had punished Kaia.

"C-Can I walk home with you guys?" asked Kaia, as she approached Tsuna, Gokudera, and Yamamoto. "I want to talk with Reborn."

"Ehhh- s-sure," replied Tsuna, as he packed his things together. He stood up, and made for the classroom door. Gokudera, Yamamoto, and Kaia followed.

"Thanks," smiled Kaia, a smile for Tsuna. Gokudera felt a little jealousy, but hid it well. He forced his face to twist in anger and repulsion. They were out in the hallway now, and Gokudera turned to face Juudaime.

"Juudaime!! She could be working for Mukuro! Remember she came from Kokyou?!" snarled Gokudera, but inside, he was stabbing himself, punishing himself for being jealous to his Boss. Kaia stiffened at the sound of the illusionist's name. Gokudera silently noted this, and planned to ask her about it later.

"G-Gokudera-kun!" Tsuna looked at his Storm Guardian. "She's perfectly normal, okay? She doesn't work for Mukuro." His stare silently told Gokudera about the Vongola, and Soto. Gokudera nodded with a frown, 'resisting to complain any further.'

"W-Who's Mukuro?" Kaia asked in a small voice, her body quaking in fear.

"R-Raiahu-san, why are you…shaking? Are you cold?" blinked Tsuna.

"N-No, I'm fine…I just want to know who exactly this Mukuro is…" Kaia looked away, down to the ground.

"H-He's a-"

"He's the leader of a team in Kokyou, rivaling our Namimori team," said Yamamoto. Kaia looked to Yamamoto and blinked.

"Chrome told me he was a high schooler at Kokyou… Is he part of a…a school sports team or something?" she forced a fake smile again. Inside, she remembered when he appeared out of the mist, probably to kill or harm her so she could be bait for that 'Vongola' again. Tsuna's expression turned into one of surprise.

"You know Chrome?!" he gaped. Kaia turned to him.

"I transferred from Kokyou, right?" her eyes momentarily flitted to Gokudera, but she returned her focus to Tsuna. "She was in my class…"

"EHHH- really?!"

***whack***

"Ciaossu," greeted Reborn. He landed on Yamamoto's shoulder, after launching himself to kick Tsuna again. "I think you had to talk to me, didn't you, Kaia?"

"Y-Yeah," nodded Kaia. "About mom and Soto and Jazzie…Jasmine, then. And…everything that happened." Reborn jumped from Yamamoto's shoulder to Kaia's shoulder.

"Then it should be in private. Tsuna, get home and finish homework before I come home. Let's go, Kaia," instructed Reborn. "Gokudera, Yamamoto, make sure he doesn't run into trouble."

"Hai, Reborn-san!!" answered Gokudera. "I will protect Juudaime!!" Yamamoto just shrugged and grinned.

"Jaa, I'll see you later then, Kaia!" waved Yamamoto. Gokudera left without a word, after Tsuna, who had said "see you tomorrow" to Kaia. Kaia just stood, watching their retreating figures walk away from her.

"Great. Now I won't know where to go now," groaned Kaia, rolling her eyes. She smiled and looked to Reborn, who was on her shoulder. "Can you direct me home?"

"Sure. But, what do you need to talk about, Kaia?" Reborn had shrugged off the issue of getting home without a single regret; it seemed he knew that what they would be talking about would be much more important.

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Foreshadowing. That's something that should be emphasized here. :D

Cue the drama next scene. It'll be a little longer, too, so get ready to read. ^^

Ahh, again, for the record, 52.3k word count on scene 101. And yes, I still need to split it up now. xD

Thanks for reading, everyone, and please review!

Have an awesome summer [break] everyone!!


	71. False Truths, True Falses

As I said last update/scene, there will be drama. Like, the DUN DUN DUNNN drama. Not the lovey-dovey drama. Get that in your head right now. ^^;;

Second of all, I'm going to be gone from tomorrow to Sunday, since it's going to be Fourth of July. And you guys all recall that I live in America, right? I like going out and watching fireworks… It's fun, too, to go have fun wherever I am to watch the fireworks. This time, I'm going into the mountains. :D

Yep, there's going to be trees. No snow, though. It's summer. D:

Hope there's going to be fireworks. :]

And I'm thinking of doing an omake for fireworks, but I don't think Japanese people really do fireworks for the independence of a country on the other side of the Pacific Ocean. Maybe I'll do one for New Years or something, when it comes around in the story. Yeah, I am lazy. :]

If I forget and New Years is coming, make sure to remind me if you guys remember~! xD

Oh, and also, since I'm going to be gone, I'm going to update more than one scene. Ah, that reminds me. If I were updating one scene per day, then I should be at scene 98. And here we are, barely into the seventies. Which means I should be splitting up the 101 pileup. And posting a little more for this. :]

Two per day to catch up sounds pretty nice, right? Yeah, I'll try and do that. If I remember. xD

Well, then I'll do a few chapters, and I'll catch up later. After I get back. And I'll be working on that omake too.

Oh yeah, and Soto. He's going to come back, I promise. If he doesn't anytime soon, he's going to be back at least after the Millifore Arc. And no, he is NOT going to be killed while Tsuna and co. are gone. Nobody's really going to be killed, not yet. =.=

Anyway, I think it'd be best if I don't keep you readers from reading the update. So…

Happy Reading, everyone, and please, uber please, review!!

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"Reborn, for some reason, when I got back from the…hospital… I don't have any money. So, I can't buy any food to eat or anything, so, can you call my mom, or Soto, or Jasmine, to send me some money?" Kaia brightly asked. "I bet that once kaa-san has her job, she'll be able to send me some more, right? I don't have credit cards, you know."

"Did you try calling her? I know you know her cell phone number," suggested Reborn.

"Well, for some reason, it doesn't work. I've tried, but it always rings, then _it hangs up on me_. So, Reborn, can you ask for me?" shrugged Kaia, her sparkling eyes smiling at Reborn.

"Sure."

They walked on in absolute silence. Kaia looked as if she wanted to say something, but she didn't voice this. Reborn, however, had a foreboding feeling, and didn't dare read her mind. He thought that the fear he had had been stamped out long ago, when he was training to be a Mafioso. But it seems that it merely laid in slumber, waiting for its chance to come back. Kaia couldn't hold it in anymore; she broke the fragile barrier of silence.

"Ever since I got here in Namimori, why have there been…**things** happening around me?" Behind Kaia's nervous, shifting eyes, there was a dormant volcano of anger, frustration, disappointment, betrayal, lying, and deception.

"Things always happen around any one person."

"But, why did I even move here in the first place?" Her eyes slightly narrowed.

"Your mother didn't have her job anymore and couldn't support an apartment in Kokyou anymore."

"No…I think you're not telling me completely everything. There's something big you're covering up, right?" Her eyes were searching, accusing, blaming, suspecting. Suspicious of the world.

"No. You're just…biologically fragile."

"Do you think that's going to explain how much school I've missed?! How come I feel so tired all the time, why I get to skip PE, and why, sometimes, don't I even remember living through certain days?! Like how I entirely skipped last Wednesday and Thursday?" Kaia's eyes burned with anger and frustration, and the single question she daren't speak.

_Why don't you ever tell me anything?!_

"You know, too. The concussion knocked you completely off-balance."

"Off-balance how?!"

"Post-Traumatic Disorder. Borderline Personality Disorder. Those were both caused by that-"

"How could a hit in the head cause _personality disorders_?! When did that become possible?! And-"

"Post-Traumatic Disorder is a disorder that sometimes leads to other problems. For you, it was Borderline Personality Disorder. Borderline Personality Disorder, or BPD, is characterized by various personality and temperament changes. The changes occur every few days, at most a week, and range from anxiety, depression-like symptoms such as sadness and hopelessness, anger, frustration, and paranoia. Patients might also yearn for company and not to be left alone, think suicidal thoughts, and constantly be on edge. Borderline Personality Disorder is basically the random alternation of different mental states of stress, and therefore drain one of their energy."

"So now you're blaming everything on this BPD?! Wha-" Kaia fell silent, as the realization washed over her.

Kaia stopped walking.

"I have…border…line… per…son…al…ity…dis…or…der…" she breathed. Her eyes faced forward, but they saw nothing. She was frozen with shock.

_Everything makes sense now._

_I was silent last week, wasn't I? And now I'm full-blown angry, aren't I. This…This is it, right? BPD?_

_I didn't want Soto to leave… I didn't want to be left alone._

_I thought of death, the relief of it finally ending my agony, haven't I?_

_And all the things happening to me… Happening around me…_

_No. Reborn might be lying; I'll have to research this myself, or maybe ask Jasmine. No, not her either. Jasmine, she's probably going to lie too._

"Oii, Kaia. Kaia!!" Reborn repeated. He turned his head, and he slapped Kaia, hard in the cheek.

"Oww… Reborn… What was that for?" Kaia's eyes began to well up. She cringed away, rubbing her cheek painfully.

_I really don't deserve to live, don't I?_

_I'm- I'm just some useless, foolish little girl that is nothing._

_Nobody would care if I died, wouldn't they?_

"_**Stop it, right now**_!!"

Kaia looked to the window, where Reborn now stood.

"Stop it, Kaia. Stop right, right now." Reborn stared intently at Kaia. "You are supposed to live, idiot. If you've got so many bodyguards around you, why would it be otherwise?! Soto cares about you, your mother, Allegra, cares about you, Jasmine cares about you. Tsuna cares, too, and if he does, you've got the support of his friends as well. Of course, if you die, it'd be a disaster to everyone."

"Everyone who? They're all friends with me so they can benefit themselves – they don't care a thing about me," she spoke as if she were on the verge of tears.

"Fine. Would you like to die then?" grinned the Arcobaleno. He pulled out a gun and aimed it at Kaia. "Would you like to feel what it is like to die, Raiahu Kaiashi?" Kaia froze, and stood up, looking at Reborn with watery, heartbreaking eyes.

"I _have_ felt what it is like to die, I just know it. I don't know how I do, but…I've died before, I just know it. And… I have no regrets for going. I've wondered…wondered how I could escape the horrors of life… To have…_them_…to-to…just watch my every move…" Kaia looked away, pain flickering past her eyes, her lips pursed. She closed her eyes, so Reborn couldn't read them, and her mind.

"Fine, just-just kill me… I don't care; Ria deserves to live more than I do… I haven't a single regret, Reborn. Just kill me. Just release me from my ties to this world." Her voice was emotion-less, mechanical.

"You don't want to die, Kaia," Reborn put away his gun. His grin wasn't there anymore, once he realized the Dying Will Bullet wouldn't work on her. Not if she hasn't a single regret to dying. "Do you still want to talk to Soto, Jasmine, and Allegra?" Kaia looked at the Arcobaleno, suspicion and accusing easily read in her expression.

"No. Neither do I want to even speak to you, either. Forget everything." She reached into her bag, took out the cell phone Reborn gave her, and threw it on the ground. The phone fell apart, shattered into pieces on the tiled floor.

"I don't want to see you, or any of you weirdos anymore! You're only corrupting my life, okay?!" She bit her lip as she glared at Reborn one last time, stomped on the cell phone's remains once before taking off across the hallway, and disappearing out of sight around the turn. Tears, which had been flung into the air as Kaia left, fell to the floor and onto the remains of the Vongola's best technology on the tiled floor.

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Heh, that was pretty sad. And a little awkward, to me, in the phrasing and such. To me, overall not as good as I could have done. But still okay. :]

Oh well, I think there would be a scene that I'll post after this, and if there isn't please be patient. It will get there soon.

Still, have an awesome summer [break]!! xD

-and please review-


	72. Eavesdropping

I've decided to update last scene, this scene, and probably the next one. Yeah, I will do the next one. But not scene 74. :]

Well, here you are, scene 72. This one is more of a filler, maybe, but it clarifies a bit of stuff about Ria, so any more questions, please review that or PM me that and I will answer that. :D

Happy Reading, and please review!!

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The hallway was eerily silent for a few seconds. Reborn sighed silently.

"Tsuna, Gokudera, you haven't listened to what I said," said Reborn, looking to the other end of the hallway. "Yamamoto left to help his dad with the shop, didn't he?"

"I-Is she alright?" asked Tsuna, as he stepped into view. Gokudera followed him out into sight, and the two walked towards Reborn.

"I hope she'll be," frowned Reborn, looking to the hallway end where Kaia ran. He looked back at the two. "You guys heard everything, didn't you?"

"Y-yeah," admitted Tsuna. "What's Borderline Personality Disorder?"

"That's beside the point," Reborn said before Tsuna could say anything more. "The main problem's about her dying will and life strength in her." He looked up to Gokudera. "I've told you about the energy-leeching theory, right, Gokudera?"

"H-Hai, Reborn-san," nodded the Storm Guardian. "Would Kaia be…listening to us as well, like we've been listening to you guys?" He glanced at the other end of the hallway.

"No. And the correct term is eavesdropping, Gokudera," frowned Reborn. "She's in a state of shock and distress. It'll eventually wear off, but for now, we should leave her alone. It's relatively simple, however, as she is trying to avoid all of us, if you've heard what she said."

"But…dying will? She has a dying will flame?" Tsuna blinked.

"No," corrected Reborn. "Ria does."

"Ehh? I don't get it…" frowned Tsuna. "What do you mean, Kaia doesn't, but Ria does? Aren't they the same person?"

"Let's just- let's just talk about it while we walk home then," Reborn answered. He leaped onto Tsuna's shoulder, and the three commenced to walk home.

"Raiahu Kaiashi is her name, as you both know." Both teens nodded. "Kaia is what she's typically called, isn't she? But she's called Ria if she has her dying will flame, like in the Sky Battle. Kaia is the regular, neutral person. Ria, on the other hand, is the one with dying will flame, and is the one Soto had been so desperately training."

"Wait- _training_?!" Tsuna burst out. "What do you mean by-"

"Kaia was born to be the Tenth's Storm Guardian, but her existence was kept secret by the Vongola. Her mother is the Ninth's Storm Guardian, and Kaia's grandmother the Eighth's Storm Guardian, and so on. That's why Soto was commissioned to train Kaia. Of course, I'm the best hitman in the world, and I'm too good to train anybody but Bosses-to-be."

"But then…if she was _born_ to be the Storm Guardian, why is Gokudera the Storm Guardian?" asked Tsuna.

"So I can protect Juudaime, of course!" emphasized Gokudera. "Of course Juudaime can't be protected by such a frail, little girl like that!"

"Wrong. Though Kaia might be unable to battle, Ria can even defeat Xanxus hands down," said Reborn. "Neither Kaia or Ria had been introduced to the Mafia yet. Therefore, in this emergency, the only choice and the most suitable choice would be Gokudera. We usually distribute the rings four years before the time we actually did, and Kaia was supposed to be introduced around then."

"R-Ria can defeat Xanxus?!" gaped Tsuna. "But- he's the Varia's leader… He's probably one of the most dangerous Mafioso in the world!"

"Okay then. You guys deserve to know a little more about her. So I'll start from the beginning. In the beginning, she was normal, like you, Dame-Tsuna, just not as ridiculous."

"R-Reborn-san! Juudaime isn't ridiculous!"

"Not now, he isn't, thanks to me. Now, that was before Soto came. Soto came, and began to train Kaia, but in a way so that she wouldn't know anything about the mafia. Kaia's mother was still afraid of exposing her only daughter and heir to their family's position at such a young age, so she had Soto teach Kaia everything necessary, everything excepting knowledge of the mafia. Now, I'll just go straight to the day she moved to Namimori. She was there when Squalo came, chasing Basil, didn't she?"

"She was," confirmed Gokudera.

"Kaia immediately phoned her mother and demanded to return to Kokyou. However, Kaia's mother declined, again in a way so that Kaia hasn't a clue about the mafia. It was in this way that the information finally got around to the Boss; precautions were taken, and the like. Iemitsu was sent to Japan."

"So…Kaia was the reason my dad came back home?" Tsuna raised an eyebrow.

"And then, there was the bruise and the knock in the head, Monday, her first day of school in Namimori. That was the day you guys got your Half-Vongola Rings. Unconscious for two days; then, you all were doing your training for the Ring Battles. Jasmine came on Thursday, and, along with Soto, went to check up on Kaia's mental condition. She was home Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Friday was the day the Ring Battles had been arranged – you guys remember, right?"

Both Tsuna and Gokudera nodded.

"Saturday was the Sun Battle, Sunday was the Thunder Battle. Monday was the Storm Battle, Tuesday was the Rain Battle. After that, on Wednesday, was the Mist Battle," Reborn paused, a frown on his face. He looked to Gokudera. "You guys both know that Mukuro came, right? In reality, I mean."

"Yeah," answered both teenagers, expecting more to come out of Reborn.

"He was leeching energy off of Kaia to get the energy to appear in person."

"EHH?! Seriously?! Are you sure?" Tsuna looked to Reborn.

"It's the most likely scenario. Otherwise, we couldn't explain anything else."

"Like what?" asked Gokudera.

"Like how she was in a death-like state that same night, like how it was exactly then when Mukuro appeared in the Mist Battle," said Reborn. "Like that."

"Death-like state? Like… Moretti?" blinked Tsuna, recalling the time Reborn tricked Tsuna into believing he had killed someone in his sleep.

"No. We're not sure what happened, but it seemed that Kaia was dead. That was what she mentioned before; you guys listened in to that too, right?" Reborn elbowed Tsuna in the cheek.

"Oww! What was that for?!"

"Pay attention."

"B-But I'm already paying enough attention!!"

"Kaia was gone Wednesday and Thursday because of that. Late Thursday night, she had disappeared," said Reborn, getting back to the subject. "Friday was the Sky Battle, and it was then when Ria appeared. She secured your win, Tsuna, so you should be grateful." Reborn smirked. "She was injected with ten doses of Death Heater – meaning she got ten times as much poison as you guys did."

"_Ten doses_?!" repeated Gokudera. "Doesn't… Doesn't one dose kill in half an hour then? If it's like that, then- then she'd be dead in less than two seconds!"

"Yes, unless your Dying Will Flame is burning," said Reborn. "We don't know that much about the Death Heater yet, but we know that Flame delays the killing time. After the Sky Battle, Ria was taken to the hospital, and she was completely out until Saturday. The hospital released her on Sunday, and it was then when you took her for ice cream, Gokudera. And so we come to the present; oh yeah, and I forgot to mention something." The Arcobaleno's grin was wide.

"W-What is it?" paled Tsuna.

"The Ninth already planned to have Kaia in the family."

"W-What do you mean, family?! Don't tell me she's going to be part of the Vongola too!!"

Tsuna's question was left unanswered, as Reborn leaped off of Tsuna's shoulder and opened the door.

They were home.

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I like this scene. xD

Especially how Reborn just skips around all the time. :]

It's just a recap on what's happened so far, but still, I like it all the same. Come to think of it, the day Gokudera took Kaia out for ice cream was her three-week anniversary in Namimori. Yeah, a lot can happen in three weeks. The 'current' day, in the story, is Monday. The day AFTER Kaia's three-week anniversary.

Anyway, thanks so much for reading~! Don't forget to review too! :D

Have an awesome summer [break]!!


	73. Distrusting Paranoia

This one is a little shorter than the others, though. The other scenes I updated today were around 1300 words each, and this one is more of the high 500s. Not that you readers care. Actually, you do care. It just means more stuff to soak in about the story when the word count increases.

Oh well, I'll cut down a bit on all that talking.

Happy Reading, everyone, and please review~!

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The door swung open, as a figure stormed inside and slammed the door again, locking all the locks on the door.

Kaia still can't believe she got home without any sense of direction whatsoever. But she was also still stunned about what Reborn told her. She didn't have a computer. She had a phone, but it wouldn't work anymore. She flung her schoolbag on the ground, and she just stood there. She had no money, no way of contacting anyone at all. She didn't even _want to_.

They were all plotting something, something against her. Everyone in her life was in that plot, or just about everyone.

_That Rokudo Mukuro is a bad person to Tsuna and his friends, isn't he? Then he should be my friend, my enemies' enemy. Chrome too, but she's a friend of them. No, Mukuro is one of them too. I can't trust him either. Who can I trust? If I go to the police with this, they won't believe me. I don't have the evidence._

Kaia sank to the ground. She was angry, fuming at the world for turning on her. She took a few deep breaths.

_Perfect. All this, and I don't even deserve to live, either. No. I can still trust myself, can't I?_

_Wait, there's something about what they're planning, isn't it? Why is it that nearly every guy in the plot I smile at just becomes uncomfortable or just looks away or something?! Like…__**them**__…_

_Hibari called me a witch for doing that._

_Mukuro wants me as bait._

_Gokudera seems to be looking for something all the time…_

_And that prince, he's freaking __**courting**__ me…_

_Who knows, there might be more!_

_No, they're all in the same plot to kill me, all trying to be the first._

Kaia looked up, into her living room. Her eyes narrowed angrily. She just felt like walking up to that glass vase of flowers, which were **'from everyone,'** and just…killing it. Like snuffing out the life of everyone, who had gotten her those rotten flowers.

Suddenly, the glass vase shattered, shards flying in all directions except towards Kaia. The water spilled all over the carpet, and it dripped from the table she set it on. The elegant flowers and petals were scattered on the floor, forlorn and abandoned. Kaia furrowed her brows, trying to convince herself that she wasn't going crazy. She wasn't psychic, she was sure of that.

_I'll just go start my make-up homework then…_

She shakily stood up and, holding her hand up to her head, made her way to her room to find that pile of papers.

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_How in the world can I even trust any of them?!_

_They've got friends with- with bombs, and swords, and even a baby's got a gun in his hand!_

_No, I can't trust anyone anymore…_

"Raiahu Kaiashi!"

_Isn't there a person to trust? No, not anyone in Namimori, for starters._

"Raiahu Kaiashi!!"

"Oh-uh, h-here."

Kaia shook herself from her thoughts and looked up to the teacher.

"Did you finish your make-up work?!" boomed the teacher, clearly not pleased.

"N-No…" mumbled Kaia.

"Do you remember that we will have a pop quiz about what we learned yesterday, Raiahu?! Pop quiz, all of you!!"

The class groaned.

"And anyone who fails will have to stay after school, organizing the shelves!" said the teacher.

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Poor Kaia. Well, the next scene will be a little interesting. I'll guarantee that. xD

But then again I won't be here for Friday [tomorrow], Saturday, and Sunday. I'll miss you all~!! D:

At least I'm still coming back Monday. xD

Have an awesome summer [break] everyone!!


	74. A Bomber's Confession, Stolen

Sorry, everyone, I was back yesterday, but I didn't get on or check my mail yesterday. T_T

At least I'm back now. I think I told myself I'd be updating two times a day until I catch up with how far I am. Didn't I tell you guys that I also clumped a ton of the story on scene 101? So now, I ask you: how long do you want the individual scenes to be? The shortest I've put on the site was somewhere in the high 400s [in words]. The most would be about 1400. The average would be around 800 words, I think, if I take out the headnotes and footnotes.

Well, review and tell me. Or you can PM me. I don't really care, as long as you tell me. :]

And as leeland88 has suggested, I've decided to add a summer festival into the story. But that will come after the Millifore Arc. You'll know why later. For now, the main reason is because I've already written out everything up to the Millifore Arc, the entire Millifore Arc, and some of what would come after. Which means I've finished the Millifore Arc. Put down the grand finale of the Arc into text. Already. Before the manga releases it. That means that what I put down might not be [nearly certainly wouldn't] be accurate or very much like the actual story. But then again, you know I get impatient sometimes. I'm pretty happy to be without writer's block anymore. Which means I have to write more. :D

Woah, all that above was typed up in under three minutes. O.o

And yes, AkaMizu-Chan, I LOVE cliffhangers.

And since meki not only reviewed, but voted, I'll have the updated scoreboard here:

Mukuro/Kaia: 8 [and 5 re-votes from Shin] [one of the votes are from Shoko-Chan, and she re-votes twice]

Mukuro/Kaia **with a Hibari twist**: 1 [and 3 re-votes from Shoko-Chan]

**Gokudera/Kaia: 5** [and 1 1/2 re-votes from Shin] [another re-vote from Crazee4anime]

Hibari/Haruka: 2 [and another re-vote from Shin]

Yamamoto/Chrome: 2 [and 2 re-votes from Shin] [and a re-vote from Banyou]

**Hibari/Kaia: 3 **[a re-vote from that~one]

**Belphegor/Kaia: 3 **[a re-vote from The Great Pineapple MEKI]

**Soto/Kaia: 1**

Byakuran/Kaia: 1

Xanxus/Kaia: 1

Ah. Now, Hibari and Bel really are rivals. :]

They're now neck-to-neck in the race: three votes each, one re-vote each. Well, I'll make up for that. Since Bel won't really be in the story for now [the Varia are still being punished for the Cradle Affair and the Ring Battles], I'll put in some of him later. I hope you, the readers, are a little patient for it. It'll come. Soon. I hope, that is.

Anyway, about the scene. This update. This update is a little longer than the others. More than 1300 words. This one is really important, I think. Really, I think Kaia's fighting against herself. And everyone around her. Doesn't know who to trust. At least, right now, she is. Wonder what she'll be later on in the story. Different, no doubt. xD

And this part is where the 59OC and 18OC comes to collide into each other. I think I told you readers about this before, didn't I? When the Varia Arc was done. That Hibari will be back. :D

Anyway, just read. Read the story, don't listen to my rantings for such a long time. It's a waste of time. Seriously, just get on with your life and get this scene done. ^^;;

Happy Reading, everyone, and please review at the end!

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Who failed the quiz? Kaia, for not even learning what the quiz was about, Tsuna, for being a failure at academics again, and Yamamoto, not familiar enough with the topic – they were the ones who failed the quiz.

The bell rang; school was out.

"Raiahu, Sawada, Yamamoto! You're staying!" reminded the teacher.

"Haii," Kaia nodded, but still quite detached from the world.

"Ahh, sensei, I've got baseball practice – we're going to have a game in forty-five minutes…" said Yamamoto. "I have to go."

"Fine," growled the teacher. "But if you fail anything again, you're staying after school, double-time."

"Thanks," said Yamamoto. He turned to Tsuna. "Sorry, but I've got to go. Have fun with Kaia, okay?" And with a wave, he was off and away to the baseball field.

"Juudaime!!" a hand appeared on Tsuna's shoulder. "You don't have to do it today – I'll do it for you!"

"G-Gokudera-kun! No, I have to do it… I failed the quiz anyway," Tsuna shook his head and he looked to Gokudera.

"No, I'll do it," Gokudera shook his head. "There's a lot of homework today, and I've already finished most of it. You know, if you don't finish your homework on time, there's going to be…lock-down again… Juudaime, I'll do it." Tsuna looked at Gokudera for a few moments.

"Okay then, Gokudera-kun. But I'll have to pay you back for this, though. Thanks!!" Tsuna smiled.

"Remember, you two, I've told Hibari that you're here. So no running away," and with that, the teacher also hurriedly left. Tsuna bolted out the door after him, and Gokudera and Kaia were left alone in the classroom.

Kaia's eyes were averted, so that she couldn't see Gokudera. She slowly stood up, and she walked to the shelves of the class library. She kneeled and took out the books, one by one, taking her time. Gokudera followed her to the book shelves, and began to organize from the other end of the library.

After a while, the desks near Kaia were heavily stacked with books from the bookshelf, and the shelves stood barren against the wall. Kaia was working her way inwards; Gokudera was working the opposite way, putting the books up straight, making them neat and clean. Kaia noticed this, and she worked slower.

Gokudera saw this, and he worked faster.

Kaia was still on the far side of the class library; Gokudera was half-way through. He glanced at Kaia. She was going back, putting the books back in their places, on the shelves.

"Do you need help?" ventured Gokudera, seeing if he could get a reply. There was no such reply. Kaia merely focused on her work, her hair obscuring what Gokudera could see of her face. She put a book on the shelf, and she turned to get another book from the stack… She turned again to place the book in its correct place on the shelf, all while Gokudera stopped working and just stood there, looking at Kaia work.

He wanted her to pay attention to him. He wanted her to be his…

"Just…just stop looking at me," Kaia's voice was harsh, cold, entirely void of the familiar, shy, warm feeling that typically came when she spoke. Her work gradually slowed to a stop. "Why can't you just stop it?! You always stare, or look at me all the time! And whenever I ask of it, you just look away? Just stop looking at me as if I were an alien trapped in a cage!"

Gokudera took a tentative step towards her.

"Kaia…don't be like that…" Gokudera locked his eyes on her. "Don't be like that to me…" She looked Gokudera in the eye.

"Don't you do that to me, you-you evil person! You're just after my life, aren't you?! Like how Reborn pulled a gun on me, how that long-hair guy pulled a sword at me, and how-how all of you can handle weapons that can kill people! You- You're just going to be like one of _them_, aren't you?!" burst Kaia. "Aren't you?!" She was completely cold against him, but she was on the brink of shattering. She was on the edge – she wasn't likely going to last any longer with this.

Her eyes, despite her strict orders to not break, began to water. Kaia looked away, praying Gokudera didn't see them. She was supposed to be angry at him, wasn't he? But, she didn't know why, but she was crying. She bit her lip.

"I-I don't want to see you anymore, okay? I just want to live a regular life, with regular friends, without a care in the world about the things we take for granted. And you…you're probably a killer-in-training, aren't you?!" Her hand balled up into a fist.

"Kaia- Kaia, it's not like that, okay? I-I'm just asking you…asking you if you believe in love stories."

"L-Love stories?" Kaia repeated. She looked back at Gokudera now. "What do you mean…" Her eyes widened at the realization. She turned away in embarrassment. "I-I do, but…"

"But what?" Suddenly, his voice was too close, his breath breathing down her neck, sending tingles down her spine. "There's no stopping for_ our_ love story, isn't there?"

"I…love you…" whispered Gokudera. Kaia was just stunned, and her eyes hardened.

"So you _are_…one of…_them_…" she hissed, and she launched her elbow directly behind her, knowing for sure where Gokudera was.

Gokudera caught the elbow with his hand.

"Kaia-"

"No, don't! Just- go away, okay?! Don't be like Soto, and Reborn, and Jasmine, and Ma, and everyone else!" she began to struggle. "Like how none of you ever tell me the truth!!"

She kicked Gokudera in the shin, and pushed him away. He fell backwards, into the desks. They skidded on the tiled surface of the floor, screeching their discomfort. The Storm Guardian groaned, clenching his teeth, hoping that Kaia would…just stop whatever is going on in her head.

"Kaia-"

"Just-"

The door swung open. A shadow glided over the floor.

"What are you doing?" irritated eyes narrowed, looking at Gokudera and Kaia. He could easily see Kaia down the aisle, at the side of the classroom. But then, his eyes slid over to see Gokudera, just getting up from the cluster of desks. "My, my, my, Gokudera seems to have another side to his low-down swagger."

"H-Hibari-sempai!" Kaia immediately turned her head. The President acknowledged Kaia's presence with a grim smirk. Hibari was not amused.

"So the rumors were true," Gokudera turned to Hibari. "The great President of the Disciplinary Committee has a weak point."

"I'll have to bite you to death for this," Hibari pulled out his tonfas.

"N-No, don't!" objected Kaia. "He's- He's…" She fell silent, tears still trickling down her cheeks. "Hibari-sempai, just don't hurt him… Hurt me, if you have to, please…" She looked to Gokudera, then back at Hibari. "Don't hurt him like you did to Lambo-kun…"

"It's my duty to punish those who challenge the laws," spat Hibari. He glared at Gokudera. "He deserves it." Then, he thought up an idea. He smirked.

'What're you laughing at?" growled Gokudera.

"Kaia, come here. I won't hurt him – he'll pay instead of be punished," Hibari faced Kaia again. She slowly got up, and step by regretful step, she walked away from Gokudera, who moments before had confessed, and into the arms and protection of Hibari Kyouya. Gokudera had lost Kaia to the Cloud Guardian.

Hibari turned and left the classroom.

"Come, Kaia."

"Ha-Hai, Hibari-sempai," Kaia nodded. She was half-way past the doorway when she looked back at Gokudera. She gave him a small smile, and disappeared out of sight.

_I'm alright; don't worry, Gokudera-san._

Once she was out of sight, Gokudera snarled to himself and slammed his fist down on the desk. He felt like killing himself, or killing Hibari. But he can't, he couldn't.

_So close and yet so far…_

_F*ck Hibari. Just, just send him to hell, that f*cking bastard!_

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Yes, I'm still censoring the cuss words. Yeah, I told you, this was important. Poor Gokudera.

He finally managed to confess, and now Kaia was snatched away from him just like that. Hibari really knows how to break a guy like him. No wonder he's the President of the Disciplinary Committee. No wonder, also, that there is hardly any chaos in Namimori. Yes, Hibari Kyouya is truly a fearsome person.

And also, since I was gone, I've decided to update more than once. Or I can put that off until tomorrow. Yeah, blame my laziness for that.

The next update wouldn't be about what happens immediately after that anyway. I'll update tomorrow. :]

Yes, I am lazy. Stupid me. I should get out of being lazy. I really should. But right now, I'm too lazy to even do that. Screw my laziness. It's messing with me. Anyway, I'll wait for a few reviews, and if I want to, and get out of my laziness, I'll update again. xD

Well then, thanks for reading, everyone, and please review!

Have an awesome summer [break] everyone!!


	75. Day After

Ah, thanks so much for all the reviews, everyone!! xD

And for anyone confused about the same thing as meki was, I'll just directly quote from the review reply. xD

"Gokudera was referring to Kaia being the weakpoint. In essence, saying that Hibari is no longer a carnivore. But I don't think Hibari understood what Gokudera was getting at. He would, later on, though. ;] And yes, Gokudera is smart. How many tests have he aced already?! O.o"

There. Meki, I'm sure you can remember that from the review reply. I think that was a pretty good explanation. It explained what Gokudera meant. And I am in no way saying that Hibari isn't as smart. People think differently. Obviously, in Hibari terms, a carnivore doesn't think like an herbivore. xD

And since little-L.A.M. reviewed with a vote and a re-vote, here is the updated scoreboard~!!

Mukuro/Kaia: 8 [and 5 re-votes from Shin] [one of the votes are from Shoko-Chan, and she re-votes twice]

Mukuro/Kaia **with a Hibari twist**: 1 [and 3 re-votes from Shoko-Chan]

**Gokudera/Kaia: 5** [and 1 1/2 re-votes from Shin] [another re-vote from Crazee4anime] [a re-vote from little-L.A.M.]

Hibari/Haruka: 2 [and another re-vote from Shin]

Yamamoto/Chrome: 2 [and 2 re-votes from Shin] [and a re-vote from Banyou]

**Hibari/Kaia: 4 **[a re-vote from that~one]

**Belphegor/Kaia: 3 **[a re-vote from The Great Pineapple MEKI]

**Soto/Kaia: 1**

Byakuran/Kaia: 1

Xanxus/Kaia: 1

Woah. Hibari/Kaia overtook Bel/Kaia. And Hibari/Kaia even has a chance of overtaking even Gokudera/Kaia! Woah. If you want Bel/Kaia to overtake Hibari/Kaia again, vote! If you want to keep Hibari/Kaia in the lead, and make it work its way to the top of the list, vote! If you want any of the other pairing entries, **VOTE**!!

Ah, and since I only updated once yesterday, I should update more today. :]

So I might be updating the next scene as well. This one is rather short compared to the other ones before, but quite long compared to the early scenes. That reminds me. Readers, I am ready to listen to pleads for making scenes longer or shorter! Again, the average is about 850 now, I think, and the range is 400-1400 words. Review or PM me about it, if you want that to change, and I can or will change it. If nobody objects about what you want to change. PM-ers, if you want the suggestion to be private, please tell me about it. Or else it will be public. Everyone wants to know what's going to happen with the scene length. That means the amount of the story that I'll release every day.

I have a creeping feeling that people are going to come and scream at me to make it longer. O.o

In fact, that makes me feel pretty happy. ;D

Anyway, happy reading, everyone, and please review about anything you want to say or have to say about anything related or not related to anything about the story or me or anything at all! Length doesn't matter either, just **REVIEW **and/or **VOTE**!! xD

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The door slammed shut, and there was the sound of keys, locking the door. The skies outside were looking quite gloomy this morning – gloomy to the normal person's eyes. Kaia looked up to the skies – rather dark and stormy clouds hung in the horizon. She smiled a gloomy grin to herself and set off down the stairs. But she halted and looked back.

_Usually Gokudera-san would be coming around now… I wonder why he isn't…?_

Kaia's expression softened, and turned into one of guilt. She turned back to the stairs and set off to find her way to school.

Down in the neighborhood and the houses of students of Namimori Middle, Kaia walked through the grids of residences. She looked left and right – whenever she was on the right path, there would be more and more students joining them on the main road. She heard voices all around her – gossiping, talking, whispering. She turned a block, and down the other bend, there was Tsuna, Gokudera, Yamamoto, and Reborn all walking to school together. It was quite a distance, but Kaia could discern a few details from them, and of course, emotion.

It seems Tsuna stayed up quite late last night – he looked as if he were still half-asleep. Yamamoto was still himself. But Gokudera, he was forcing himself to be himself, but in reality, he was still hurt from yesterday. He was quite miserable on the inside.

But the Storm Guardian had good eyes; he looked in Kaia's direction. Kaia immediately looked away, as if she hadn't even been looking at them in the first place. She was walking alone – Sakura and Yuuki would have joined her, but they live on the other side of the school, therefore take different paths to school. She missed Haruka. By now, she knew that Haruka would just shrug off Kaia's existence and move on, with new friends.

She arrived at the gate of the school. This time, it was open, and streams of students piled in to get to class. Kaia walked into the campus, her inner self a little cheered up that she finally got to school by herself, and made a beeline to the classroom.

The gossiping was everywhere, even the classroom. But everyone stayed at quite a distance from Kaia; even Sakura and Yuuki were gossiping with a few other girls in the class that Kaia didn't know. It was as if Kaia wasn't even there. Everyone ignored her, but when she came near, the people would move away, or just ignore her until she moved on. Kaia sat down in her seat dejectedly and sighed. She looked around; people usually wouldn't be like this to her.

But nobody told her what was going on. Kaia looked out the window, the laid her head down, and buried her head in her arms to doze a bit before class.

_All this talking…just go away! It's so annoying, just shut up! Kurosaaiiiii…_

"Hi, Kaia!!" This jolted Kaia fully awake again.

"Hey, how're you doing?" beamed the baseball idiot, or Sword-person. The one with the sharp, scary-looking sword.

"Yamamoto-san…?" Kaia blinked. She looked away, burying her head in her arms again.

_He's…no. He is, but, no. He's just pretending. He's after my life, but he's doing it for…__**them**__…_

"Ehh? Kaia, you okay?" blinked Yamamoto. The class was eerily silent, all eyes staring at Kaia and Yamamoto. "Kaia~ Wake up." She stirred.

"Go away," Kaia laid her head down again. Now, her voice was muffled as she continued. "The entire class is staring at us." Yamamoto looked around the class. But just then, the bell rang, and the teacher strolled in. Everyone rushed back into their seats.

Class started.

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Yeah, that seemed pretty short. Compared with the Acts that I post with A Second Chance. Come to think of it, I still need to update that. Only thing keeping me from doing that is that even though I've written it down, I'm utterly stuck. I still should update anyway. It deserves it. I wrote it a long time ago anyway. And also – seems I can guess pretty accurately. O.o

You'll see why when I update. Later. When I get off of my butt to do it. Ugh, I really should. Also, come to think of it, I have a ton of junk fanfictions that I should be doing but I can't seem to go further with. I'm utterly stuck. Should I post them? Like a ton of discontinued previously-unposted fanfictions? That would bring my fanfiction story number up, but my words average down. Oh well, who cares. Wasted Life would bump that up already. As I said, I have like more than 50k words stacked up in scene 101. That would give me about two months of no writing. Not like I wouldn't write. xD

I'd probably come up with 50k more words by the end of that time. I hope. Or at least something. I don't want to get stuck in the story. D:

Okay, just stop listening to me rant on and on about this. Review!! ;]

Have an awesome summer [break] everyone!! xD


	76. Song of Tears

Lots of thoughts. Very good to the story, and very critical to sort out what's going on inside of Kaia's little head of hers. I think I should post the next scene as well, shouldn't I? It's rather short. And it sums up the day, if I'm right. I'd have to check the upcoming chapters for that. But oh well.

Happy Reading, and please review! [Again, for all scenes and the story, I do not own KHR.]

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Class ended.

Kaia groaned; not only had the whispers about the classroom continued all day, not only was she dead tired for some reason, but for some reason Kaia didn't want to go back to the apartment yet. The other students left one by one, every once in a while fearfully looking back at Kaia, as if she were an animal in a cage.

_No, Soto's going to be waiting for me when I get home…Right? Or just someone…that will…take me away or something, just do something to me…_

_But, I don't deserve to live either, right? What if they…want to let me have fun before I die? Like, respect for the dead or something. But I'll die either way._

_So, should I go home right now? No, it's not home. I have no home, not yet. My apartment. My…__**apartment**__…_

_Wednesdays were always…yeah, they were… Those days…_

_Should I?_

_Soto isn't here, but it won't hurt to do it. If he comes back and sees that I haven't done anything about it, he'd surely punish me._

_Punish me, but not kill me. Agonize my time remaining on earth._

_No, I'll just do it here._

She stood up, now the last person to leave the classroom. She walked past the doorway, calmly. She stopped half-way, and looked back into the classroom.

_This is where I've…hurt so many people…yesterday…_

She looked away, blinking away the guilt in her eyes, and walked on.

_Can't I trust them? My life is in their hands now, isn't it? They wish to kill it, right? Yeah, they do, but they aren't doing it yet. They want me to cherish the remaining days of my life, don't they? Then why can't I just follow them, humor them with what they think is best?_

_No, don't I have a right to control my own life? But it just feels like it was put on a railroad track since the day of my birth…_

_If I run, what will I do after that? And if I try and run, won't they catch me and punish me?_

_I'm like a lap-dog, am I._

_Tied to a leash, a collar stating who I belong to. Locked indoors, inside the parameter set by the owner. Permitted to only eat the food of the master, drink the water of the master, sleep in the given place by the master, to follow the master's every whim._

_But the master would pet me, right? Let me play, be happy, be lazy and just be who I am._

_I…Why do I sound like…a doll? Not only am I like a lap-dog, I'm a doll._

_I'm…a doll…doll…doll…_

Her footsteps echoed in the empty hallway. Usually, there would be after-school activities, right? No, not that soon after school. Hibari needs some time to scour the school for any stragglers. Kaia reached her destination, and she turned off, facing a door.

"Music Room," it read.

She turned the knob and entered, then shut the door tightly behind her. She checked her bag – good, they were all there. Kaia walked over to the largest instrument in the room – the piano.

"_Kaia, you're starting piano. Today."_

"_What?! Soto, you never told me anything about that!"_

"_You are, and you are. So there. I will be teaching you, of course-"_

"_Because you like to show off, of course."_

"_Fine. I won't show off this time. Deal? Okay, then, we'll start off with this."_

"_WHAT?! What's that- that isn't even-"_

"_You need to know where the keys are. Now sit down on the bench here and watch."_

"_Yeah, I'm supposed to begin learning piano with an __**easy**__ piece, like- what's this?! It's just a mess of dots and lines!!"_

"_Just shut it and listen."_

Kaia sighed and sat down on the bench, taking out her books of music. She opened one and set it on the piano, putting the others to the side. The particular one she selected to play was a relatively simple one compared to the one Soto had showed her. But the problem was, it was rather a challenge to a beginner like her. Kaia stared at the song sheet.

Her finger touched upon the first note. The high E.

"_So it's…Für Elise?"_

"_That's what it's called. It's really famous, by a composer I think you have at least heard of – Beethoven."_

"_Beethoven? Isn't he…that guy that became deaf or something?"_

"_Y-Yeah, but he wrote a lot of good stuff when he was deaf too. But, we're focusing on this song right here. It's short and simple, and I think you can at least play a little by the end of this week. You think so, Kaia?"_

"_Uhhh…"_

"_Okay then. Let's start with what's happening __**behind**__ the song. Like in movies or something. Sometimes, there'd be a song when someone dies, someone falls in love, someone's gone, someone's in some type of situation. This song is for what kind of situation then, hmm?"_

"_Who's Elise then?"_

"_Beethoven's cousin, I think. I'm not sure, but there's a person he loved, whether family or not, and he wrote this for that Elise."_

Kaia blinked, her face completely relaxed and somber.

_What's happening behind the song…_

_What's happening behind my song, my story?_

_But…why is it all about me? Beethoven wrote Für Elise for Elise…_

_Why can't I think of someone else?_

_No, I have no-one to think of, isn't it? No. I still have Haruka, don't I? She's still my friend, but…she's likely to have moved on. The phone doesn't work anymore either, and she wouldn't have known what was going on the last few weeks since the move. She would have called a million times, and nobody would have gotten the phone, because it doesn't work._

_Aside from Haruka, who else?_

_Who else can I trust with all my heart?_

_Who else can I call a true friend?_

_Soto, Jasmine, Mom, Yamamoto, Tsuna, Hibari, Gokudera, Reborn, the prince, that long-hair guy, Ryohei, Yuuki, Sakura, Rokudo Mukuro…right?… Chrome… And Bianchi, Tsuna's mom Nana…_

_They're all in it together. All of them who can plot. But, what about the kids – Fuuta, I-Pin, and most of all, Lambo?_

_No. Their personalities I see are all façades. Fuuta, I-Pin… they are, without question. But Lambo?_

_Hibari is Lambo's enemy. But Lambo is also Tsuna's ally, and they live under the same roof._

_No. He isn't, right?_

_I-I don't know, he probably doesn't know what's going on, such a small kid… No, he's safe, at least for now._

Kaia shook her head to clear her head of those thoughts. She touched the first key once more; this time, with her pinky. She pressed down.

A clear, unwavering note rang out.

Her ring finger pressed the black key directly to its left, then the high E again.

The string of music flowed out of her, releasing so many emotions Kaia had locked up in her chest.

_A love song, isn't it? A love song for Elise, isn't it?_

_Well this love song is for…well…it's not a love song anymore, right?_

_It's not a love song. It's a song of tears._

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Yeah, she plays piano. Soto forces her, but Kaia doesn't seem to mind.

And the reason?

Well, Soto's training Kaia. Ria, actually. She uses knives, as you have learned. Playing piano would help her control her hands and make sure she doesn't make any useless movements. When you start to do octaves and tons of little tricks in piano, it gets fast, hard, and very professional-sounding. Which would not tolerate useless movements.

And why Für Elise? Well, it's famous. Most people would know it. I'm not sure about the background information though. I might have to get some confirmation for that, but it's alright if Soto's mistaken. Beethoven lived a long time ago. Everyone makes mistakes. Hey, even I make them. That's why there are betas out here. xD

Anyway, have an awesome summer [break] everyone!


	77. Cloud Guardian

This scene is very short. Yeah, it's not a lot of words. Apparently I've noticed, too. :]

Happy Reading, everyone, and please review!

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"Who's there?!" Kaia whipped around, the music stopping unnaturally. Her eyes of anger and frustration melted. "H-Hibari-sempai?"

"What are you doing here, Kaia?" the President asked carefully. "Loitering is not permitted." But he shrugged. "I'm assuming you're thinking I'm loitering as well?" Hibari chuckled darkly.

"Sure," he nodded, and he walked over to Kaia, who was still sitting on that piano bench. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"I-I…I was…playing…" Kaia turned to face the piano again, but her hand remained on the bench, her weight still leaning on it. "Playing the piano."

"So you play?"

"Y-Yeah… Soto said-"

"Who is this Soto?" Kaia felt Hibari's eyes narrow.

"The-" Kaia thought a bit, then found the perfect description. She sat up and shrugged. "Vongola Nono's Cloud Guardian."

Hibari's eyebrow went up.

"What do you mean, Cloud Guardian?"

Kaia smiled.

_Good, he knows what this stuff is about._

"He's…the…Cloud…Guardian," blinked Kaia. She looked back at Hibari, who stood beside the piano bench now. "Of the Vongola."

"No, he isn't."

"And what makes you say that he isn't?" Kaia looked back at her sheet music. "Soto said so himself."

"Because I am, and I have proof," snarled Hibari. His eyes burned with hatred and anger – how dare a lowly herbivore claim his chance to fight as he liked? He looked away, out the window.

"Proof?" repeated Kaia. "What proof?"

"The- No, I'll tell you later," Hibari's eyes narrowed. He planned to bite this Soto to death. And it seems that Kaia didn't know enough about the Vongola – that was certainly suspicious. "You should be getting home."

Kaia looked back to Hibari, an expression of horror covering her entire face. It was like Gokudera all over again…

"Don't look at me like that, Kaia," sighed Hibari. "Is there anything bothering you at all?"

Kaia shook her head, looking away.

"No, nothing…" she closed her eyes momentarily.

"Sure?"

"Yeah…"

"Kaia-" Hibari began, but he stopped. Kaia looked at him weirdly.

"What?" her voice was small. Hibari shook his head. He sensed that this person, sitting on the bench here, was somewhat different from the true carnivore at the Sky Battle.

"You should be getting home now. You have homework, don't you?" Hibari nudged Kaia, who stood up, putting her books of music away.

"Yeah," Kaia nodded numbly. She looked into Hibari's eyes. The one who had caused her so much harm, and yet…he wasn't…like…that… Kaia smiled. "Thanks for telling me, Hibari-sempai."

Hibari slightly leaned backward for some strange reason. Kaia's expression quickly changed into one of confusion.

"Are you okay?" she frowned, but smiled again, bowed and said, "Oh well, I'll see you tomorrow then~! Sayonara, Hibari-sempai~!"

And Hibari just watched as Kaia half-ran to the door and disappeared behind it, the door swinging open and closed.

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This is somewhat of a shadow of something that would happen much later in the story. In the Millifore Arc. I should tell you readers when that would come, so you remember.

Oh well, please review!

Ah, and I noticed – scene 77!! Amazing. xD

And…

Have an awesome summer [break] everyone!! xD


	78. Lunchtime Eavesdropping

Ahh~ Thanks, everyone, for the reviews!! :]

Since meki has asked what Kaia/Ria looks like, here it is, quoted from my reply to her:

"Compared to Tsuna, she'd be about the same height, I guess… Which is about Chrome's height as well. And I'm speaking in general. I don't know who's taller than who in terms of narrow margins of centimeters, but they're about the same height. Her hair is up to her shoulders, and is brown. Just plain brown. Natural beauty? All her features are average. Neither too much nor too less. And then I came across some news article saying that normal features are sometimes the prettiest. =.="

Also, just to add to that, her eyes are brown. Normal eyes. Ria's eyes are red – the Storm Flames are reflected in her eyes.

Since RemStrike78 has voted, here is the new scoreboard:

Mukuro/Kaia: 8 [and 5 re-votes from Shin] [one of the votes are from Shoko-Chan, and she re-votes twice]

Mukuro/Kaia **with a Hibari twist**: 1 [and 3 re-votes from Shoko-Chan]

**Gokudera/Kaia: 5** [and 1 1/2 re-votes from Shin] [another re-vote from Crazee4anime] [a re-vote from little-L.A.M.]

Hibari/Haruka: 2 [and another re-vote from Shin]

Yamamoto/Chrome: 2 [and 2 re-votes from Shin] [and a re-vote from Banyou]

**Hibari/Kaia: 4 **[a re-vote from that~one]

**Belphegor/Kaia: 3 **[a re-vote from The Great Pineapple MEKI] [a re-vote from RemStrike78]

**Soto/Kaia: 1**

Byakuran/Kaia: 1

Xanxus/Kaia: 1

Well, taking a look at the scoreboard, I think it's best if I wrap up Hibari/Kaia a little early so Bel/Kaia can come in. It isn't that wise to have seven guys going for the same girl at the same time. And love comes and goes. Who knows, Hibari could come back sooner than expected. :]

But even though I'm wrapping up Hibari/Kaia, doesn't mean that the romance would fall away. Much Hibari/Kaia fluff in parts of the story, but it would fade away in the next…two and a half months I think. Enough time for Hibari/Kaia, you think? And I still have to get to Gokudera/Kaia and Mukuro/Kaia.

No worries, still. I've got ten years on the timeline to work out seven guy's romances to the same girl. And everything else, too. xD

I don't think I should update more this time, since the next update would be a completely different pairing coming up.

And it's the first bit of probably the Mukuro/Kaia pairing's beginning. Don't be too excited, though; Kaia still hates all those people involved with the mafia. Never mind about the next update; that would be for tomorrow. Today, is this update.

So, read up! Don't listen to me rant anymore!

Happy Reading, and please review!!

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Kaia sighed. It was her fourth day eating alone since she asked Reborn to call her mom for money. And yet, she still has money. She had miraculously discovered a store of money somewhere in her apartment – it would probably last her a while. She had money enough to buy some food, but she wanted to ration it. No lunches. Breakfast is strictly some orange juice and some bread. Dinner, either out in the restaurants or at home to eat whatever she had. Snacks, whatever she had. Grocery shopping is for the weekend – and it wasn't the weekend, not yet.

She was still sitting at her desk – the bell had merely rung a few minutes before, and yet the classroom was virtually devoid of any life form. All students and staff had ushered out as quickly as they could, as if they wanted to get away from Kaia, as if she were some alien to be feared of. The noise from outside drifted in through the half-closed door.

Kaia stood up and looked around. The classroom was a plain one, nothing to be proud of. The blackboard was all dusty, some of the chalk still not dusted off. The teacher's desk is scattered with papers, a few boasting letter grades scribbled on in red ink. Dull wallpapers and projects decorated the otherwise blank and boring walls. The desks were all colored one monotonous color – brown. The chairs were all green, clean, and shiny. Kaia grew sick of seeing the same thing every day, and it wasn't right either.

She liked the feel of her old school, even though she's been only a week there. It felt more like home, like where she's supposed to be. There, all the students actually acknowledged her as one of them, one of the crowd. But here, she was like a foreigner, an outsider. Everyone shunned her from everything. She would never be one of them either. She didn't want to be one of them, the weirdos. She wanted to be normal. All she wanted was to be normal. She never asked for anything more, never asked for anything else.

Step by step, Kaia inched to the door again. She looked out the door, and she saw people, talking. Two girls and a guy. And on they chattered, about…

"You know that new transfer, right?"

"What's her name-"

"Raiahu, I think."

"Yeaah, Raiahu. She's…like…weird, isn't she?"

"Heard she came from the other city. Kokyou."

"The rich city?"

"No, the other one, dummy! The one with the destroyed amusement park that used to be a big hit a few years back, remember?"

"Ohhhh, that…"

A head turned. Kaia closed the door a little, so she couldn't be seen. She was hidden in the shadow now; she could only hear the conversation now.

"Isn't that Raiahu allowed to skip PE?"

"What?! That's not fair! We have to do multi-kilometer runs, and she gets to lounge about, doing nothing?!"

"Well, I don't know. Oh yeah, you know what's been the talk since Tuesday?"

"What- _that_?! Dude, you know that both the Gokudera Fan Club and the Hibari Fan Club are both in shambles because of that… Who knew that they both would go for the same weird girl? And to top it all off, she's so freaking _normal_, but she's so weird at the same time."

"There's just something up about her, you think?"

"I heard that Hibari-san won in the end."

"Well, of course, he's the President of the Disciplinary Committee."

"I heard that Gokudera-kun won though…"

"How would anyone know?! Nobody saw anything except Hibari-san, Gokudera, and that Raiahu girl."

"Can't we just ask Raiahu then?"

"No way! She's probably not going to know. I mean, it's pretty scary that two hot guys confess at the same time, to the same stinking girl."

"True."

"Whatever. But I've noticed that Gokudera's attitude changed. And Kaia hasn't even been as much as three meters close to him. Hibari-san obviously won."

"So they're together?!"

"We can assume only so much. The Fan Clubs don't know what to do now, do they? I mean, Gokudera has a case of unrequited love, and Hibari reveals that he can actually love, can he?"

"It's really odd, seeing Hibari love an actual living thing."

"Actually, it's weird how he loves a new kid from Kokyou. He typically loves the school more than anything."

"Yeah, poor choice. He chose something that can't love him back. But now, it's Raiahu, right?"

"I'm telling you, she's weird!"

"Yeah, true. Even if, logically, there's nothing about her, I just get that feeling…"

"It probably rubbed off from Hibari-san – you know, that feeling of 'keep away' and stuff."

"Nah, don't be mean… She's still a girl, you know. We girls take things seriously, especially from guys like you."

"It's not like she's listening to our every word, right? She doesn't have super powers."

"Tche. Whatever. I still feel hungry."

"Come with me for some more snacks? Let's go to the vending machine."

"Can I come-"

"_You're_ not coming. Come on, let's go."

The door closed. Kaia slowly inched her way from the door, and out to the window, and she looked out. The classroom was entirely dark, and everything happening outside seemed to play in Technicolor.

There was a bunch of boys, third-years, by the look of the group, trying to bully out some money from a first-year; the kid ran for it, money still tightly clutched in his hands. The group of third-year bullies opened their mouths in laughter and in mockery, then turned to wait for the next little boy to prey on.

There was no next little boy. The next one to come around was none other than Hibari Kyouya. Kaia blushed, and ripped her eyes away from the sight of the President.

_He's planning to kill me soon, isn't he?_

_No, but wait, what kind of love did they mean? Beethoven had family love and love-love…can't it be the same to me?_

_What kind of love does Hibari-sempai have towards me?_

_It can't be love-love, right?! It just can't be… it's probably like family-love, or like a sense of best friends, or family, or-_

_Best friends…_

_That can work._

_Can it? Can it really work?_

_I doubt it; this is Hibari-sempai we're talking about._

_He's dangerous. He's one of __**them**__._

_I can't trust him like that, right?_

_I-I just don't know…_

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So I'll leave it at that. :]

Again, please contact me about how long you want the new scenes to be, or they will continue to be the same length as before. Please vote and review, as well!

Have an awesome summer, everyone!!

PS: I also want to know how many people actually read these comments and stuff… I admit it, I _am_ getting a little tired of writing all of this. But I'm still happy typing that all up. Anyone who doesn't read it, it's fine to be honest. I won't be offended. I might even be glad; I won't really have to type that much for something people don't read that much. Or something that people skim all the time, or something like that…


	79. Arrival in Kokyou

OMG I am so sorry, everyone!! D:

I wasn't really free to update since Thursday, but I'm back again, and I will be updating. I promise. ^^

And for the comments, I asked…because sometimes it gets tiring during multiple scene updates. It _is_ a lot, if you put it all together. Of course, I will do them most of the time, if not all of the time. Of course all the time. Unless I update ten scenes at a time, right?

I won't do that. It'd probably jam up your inbox for those who alerted me and my story. It already did, to one of my friends who didn't get to their email for a long time. :]

Ah, and also, since I got in another re-vote, here's the current scoreboard:

Mukuro/Kaia: 8 [and 5 re-votes from Shin] [one of the votes are from Shoko-Chan, and she re-votes twice]

Mukuro/Kaia **with a Hibari twist**: 1 [and 3 re-votes from Shoko-Chan]

**Gokudera/Kaia: 5** [and 1 1/2 re-votes from Shin] [another re-vote from Crazee4anime] [a re-vote from little-L.A.M.]

Hibari/Haruka: 2 [and another re-vote from Shin]

Yamamoto/Chrome: 2 [and 2 re-votes from Shin] [and a re-vote from Banyou]

**Hibari/Kaia: 4 **[a re-vote from that~one]

**Belphegor/Kaia: 3 **[a re-vote from The Great Pineapple MEKI] [a re-vote from RemStrike78] [and a re-vote from AkaMizu-Chan]

**Soto/Kaia: 1**

Byakuran/Kaia: 1

Xanxus/Kaia: 1

Bel and Hibari are really close. Re-votes from every single voter for the Bel/Kaia entry, Hibari/Kaia more of the one-time voters. Hm. Again, I've decided to finish up the majority of Hibari/Kaia first, before the Varia come back into play. Which means that Bel/Kaia would return, and probably the introduction of Xanxus/Kaia?

I'm not that sure. Not yet, at least. What I'm sure of, is that whatever you read on the Millifore vs. Vongola Choice mafia battle over the Trinisette, is not accurate. Why? Because I already twisted everything from the beginning. xD

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She bit her lip. She didn't want to go in. She didn't want to open that door knob, to enter, to see one of _them_.

Kaia stood, uncertainly and unsure, before the Reception Room, the place of the Disciplinary Committee. She moved not a single muscle, and she knew it was a matter of time before Hibari would notice a human-like shadow on the door.

"Come in," came that same male voice. Hibari seemed to be busy today. Kaia grasped the knob and turned, sticking her head out and peeking in.

"Hibari-sempai?"

"What is it?" Hibari was very busy – the stack of papers on his desk even overwhelmed Kaia.

"Do-Do you have a bus schedule to Kokyou?" Kaia averted her eyes to the ground. She was sure these words were going to hurt, whether he loved or not. "I miss my friends there, and I haven't any other way to contact them." Hibari wheeled around in his chair and looked out the window.

"Rain's coming. Are you sure?" Hibari turned back towards Kaia, and resumed his paperwork. Kaia wondered what his handwriting would look like, but that was beside the point. "Don't get sick, okay? And you don't have any way of calling anyone in case anything happens, right?"

"I'll be fine. I've made my way around before," shrugged Kaia. She forced a fake smile. "Can I…get a bus schedule…?"

"I don't have one," muttered the President. He paused and glanced up. He sat back into his chair, setting the pen [or mechanical pencil] down. "The next one is in ten minutes. Go out to the front of the school, make a left, and keep on going until there's a bus stop. The bus ride will be about 15 minutes to Kokyou Middle, and it will be the third stop. How long will you stay there?"

"I-I don't know, probably not long."

"Then in half an hour, there will be a bus going back to Namimori Middle – here. But if you don't get off, the next stop will be the shopping district." Hibari hunched back over his paperwork. "You should get going – the bus might go without you."

"A-Arigato [Th-Thanks]!!" Kaia beamed a smile, and dashed out of the room, down the hallway, and on her way to visiting Haruka.

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She caught the bus – but she had to pay. She paid the toll with a few coins, and settled for a seat in the front, next to the window.

There weren't that many people on the bus; there was a lady that apparently went shopping, and is going to her home in Kokyou, there were a few creepy people in suits, and a family with toddlers. The toddlers were thankfully sleeping.

It was a relatively short trip, where nothing really happened. No-one spoke, and nobody ever made eye contact. Fifteen minutes passed, and the bus came to a before Kokyou Middle. Kaia stood and made for the exit.

"Thanks!" acknowledged Kaia, before turning and getting off the bus. The bus drove away right after. Kaia had gotten off at a stop quite close to the school; she could even recognize the neighborhood. There was a bench where kids usually would sit, waiting for the bus to drive them home somewhere else.

Today, there was someone else sitting there.

Kaia avoided eye contact and made to walk by and into the school.

"Hey, Kaia, aren't you Namimori?" inquired a voice. "I don't think you should…uh, yeah. After-school activities are in session as well, so I'm not sure if the staff would allow you there." Kaia did not turn, but she stopped in her tracks.

She took another step.

"Kaia-chaan, can't you just say hi? Chrome would like that."

"Chrome? Don't speak her name in my presence, you- you horrible person!" snarled Kaia, as she turned around to face Mukuro. "Get out of my face, right now!"

"But- What'd I do?" frowned Mukuro, plainly confused. He looked a little hurt, too, and he scooted over to let Kaia sit as well. "Can't you keep a lonely guy company?"

"No, I won't, especially if it's you, okay, you…_murderer_!" Kaia glared at Mukuro, who was stunned.

"Murderer? What do you mean, murderer?" blinked Mukuro.

"You, don't play stupid, you scum," spat Kaia. "I'm coming to see Haruka, no one else." She turned to face the school again and marched on.

"Haruka's not talking about you anymore, and she's got new friends, Kaia."

That stopped Kaia in her tracks the second time that day.

"Why should I believe you? A pervert, a stalker, a murderer, an idiot, no doubt! Just shut up and leave me alone, okay?!" Kaia looked back and glared at Mukuro for a second, before disappearing past the corner.

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Note that Kaia wasn't really thinking when she said all of that to Mukuro. Neither was she sure about anything she said. It was all assumption. But how creepy – those assumptions were actually quite correct. And note, also, that the previous sentence could serve as a foreshadower. But then again it isn't part of the story. And it doesn't realy foreshadow anything in the author comments section. Then again, it is…in a way…a foreshadow. Keep that in mind; that could come in handy around 150 scenes later. ;]

Or more, that is.

Nevertheless, please review, everyone, and vote as well!! And please, when reviewing, tell me how long you want the new scene updates to be! Otherwise, I'd just assume you would like to keep the lengths as short or as long as it is right now.

Have an awesome summer [break] everyone!! xD


	80. Visit to Haruka's

Finally, I should update. A lot. To catch up, you know. Thanks, everyone, for reviewing! It's amazing – this time, everyone who reviewed haven't ever reviewed before! Thank you!

Thanks to all the favoriting people and the alerting people who alerted and faved this story and/or me!

And thank you to everyone who read the story! More than 10,000 hits already! So incredibly happy!

You know what drives me insane? So far, today, only three visitors – but over a hundred hits! It's insane! But still, thank you to all of you readers! xD

In the reviews, ChinaDang suggested the updates to be longer. So, I thought, maybe if I post the updates twice as long, that might work, right? Yeah, that'd be quite satisfactory. But for now, until the 100 scene anniversary, I'll post multiple scenes per update.

And I'm quite amazed at Evanescences Angel. She read my story from the very first scene to nearly up to the update point for two hours! Two hours of staring at the screen, reading and reading… and ignoring hunger pangs, too. I would have gone to get a drink long before that. xD

She pointed out a few places to fix, that you would see when you go to the reviews page.

One: Ria is a mary-sue. And you readers would probably notice Ria not becoming so much of a mary-sue later. I've already begun to fix that. And for the beginnings of the story, I'll get back to that; I sometimes prefer to write out the entire story first before I go back to make those changes. And this time is one of those sometimes. ^^

Two: an entire forty scenes were devoted to Kaia's little tap. Hm. In other terms, that is one week out of her life. But apparently an entire hour in real world time. I would say that's quite a lot. And plus, those forty scenes might not really seem much anymore, once the story progresses further. Soon, it won't really be half of the entire posted story, it'd be one third of the story, one fourth, one fifth, maybe even less. I'd just have to write a lot. Also, another point, possibly a spoiler: that hit is a lot more important and affecting of Kaia's life in the future than you would think. More than any sane person would think. Inside the box, of course.

Also, quoted directly from the reply I sent to Evenescences Angel:

"I tend to write the beginnings of a relatively short story and turn it into a full-length book."

Three: Kaia's original impression is fading away. Or the problem was something like that; I can't quite put it into words, but at least I know how to fix it. It's so weird, I think I noticed a little that Kaia isn't really… the real Kaia in the beginning of the story. However, you would realize she would gradually return to the Kaia she was in the beginning – a normal girl. In ways, the hit that Hibari dealt on her would seem to have healed a bit, like it hadn't ever happened. But that would come after the Future Arc. Like everyone else, Kaia would change.

For this problem, Evensences Angel suggested that Haru, Kyoko, and Kaia become friends. After they change, they've become friends. Once I get there, probably it would show up, become much more easy to see. However, I haven't even entered the future arc in what I've posted so far. The good stuff is still yet to come. :]

And yes, Chrome. I've been thinking of Yamamoto/Chrome, how to put it into the story. Of course, there'll be more Chrome if there's going to be Yamamoto/Chrome. And of course, the pairing can't possibly exist if Chrome wouldn't tell anyone. And if it had to be someone, personally, I'd start with a girl.

Four: Ria's wings a little overboard. Really…? In ways, yeah. I had to give her a means of flight, since in the future she'd refuse those flame-eating boots and such. Ah, minor spoiler. Oops, but oh well; it isn't that big of a spoiler. And as a dying will flame, as well.

Also another suggestion from Evenescences Angel, that Belphegor, the King of Knives, faces off against Kaia, the Queen of Knives. I absolutely LOVED the idea. Don't be surprised if that goes into the story some time.

And that brings us to the scoreboard. It's been updated; quite amazing. Check it out:

Mukuro/Kaia: 8 [and 5 re-votes from Shin] [one of the votes are from Shoko-Chan, and she re-votes twice]

**Gokudera/Kaia: 5** [and 1 1/2 re-votes from Shin] [another re-vote from Crazee4anime] [a re-vote from little-L.A.M.]

**Belphegor/Kaia: 5 **[a re-vote from The Great Pineapple MEKI] [a re-vote from RemStrike78] [and a re-vote from AkaMizu-Chan]

**Hibari/Kaia: 4 **[a re-vote from that~one]

Yamamoto/Chrome: 2 [and 2 re-votes from Shin] [and a re-vote from Banyou]

Hibari/Haruka: 2 [and another re-vote from Shin]

Mukuro/Kaia **with a Hibari twist**: 1 [and 3 re-votes from Shoko-Chan]

Belphegor/Kaia with a Mukuro twist: 1

**Soto/Kaia: 1**

Byakuran/Kaia: 1

Xanxus/Kaia: 1

I put them into order…and…

Amazing comeback, Bel! :]

Thanks, guys, for voting! Again, like scene 69, I'll put in the re-votes and see the tallies…

Mukuro/Kaia: 15

Gokudera/Kaia: 8½

Belphegor/Kaia: 8

Hibari/Kaia: 5

Yamamoto/Chrome: 5

Mukuro/Kaia with a Hibari twist: 4

Hibari/Haruka: 3

Belphegor/Kaia with a Mukuro twist: 1

Soto/Kaia: 1

Byakuran/Kaia: 1

Xanxus/Kaia: 1

Mukuro/Kaia is still winning by a long shot. This time, Gokudera/Kaia and Bel/Kaia are neck-to-neck, after Bel/Kaia's votes surpassed Hibari/Kaia. Hibari/Kaia trails along behind by a few votes… and behind Hibari/Kaia is Yamamoto/Chrome. Seems that pairing isn't really being challenged by another, as both characters' names aren't mentioned in the other entries. After is Hibari/Haruka, then follows the single-vote entries.

In this situation, I think the outcomes would change a little. And you see, the twist entries have been omitted. For all twist categories, please see the main pairing of the twist entry.

See here:

Mukuro/Kaia: Final Pairing, and the story would finish off with this pairing.

Gokudera/Kaia: Pairing will persist, however would end before the end of the story.

Belphegor/Kaia: Because of the Varia' punishments by the Ninth for the Cradle Affair and the Ring Battles, pairing wouldn't come until after the Future Arc.

Hibari/Kaia: Will go on into the Future Arc, but most of the pairing's romance would end abruptly after.

Yamamoto/Chrome: Pairing will come as a side-pairing. It will fade into the story gradually.

Hibari/Haruka: Pairing would not be portrayed [sorry!!]. I don't really follow Haruka after middle school, except a few occasional meetings, like the one below, in this scene.

Soto/Kaia: Pairing would likely be unrequited in a romantic way. [I will leave it as it is right here. If I include any other information, it would be considered spoiler. D:]

Byakuran/Kaia: Pairing would come later in the story, after the Future Arc, since we don't wee Byakuran that much, and it would be impossible for romance to spring over the course of a few brief meetings.

Xanxus/Kaia: Please see entry Belphegor/Kaia. Also, by the time I get around to this pairing, Kaia probably wouldn't really be that young anymore. Much time has passed since the Future Arc for this one.

If you are not happy about this, please vote! If you are happy about this, please vote as well, to preserve these pairings in the ranks they are in now!

…

……

OMG. This is really long for a headnote. And it doesn't seem there is enough for the actual story… I'll update a few scenes this time, to make up for it.

Thanks, everyone, for reviewing! :D

Now, please don't listen to me and hurry up and read!

Happy Reading…!!

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Kaia was sure this was Haruka's house. She had only come over once, when Soto was busy doing something else. She entered the front yard and came right up to the door. She heard voices – exited squeals and giggles of female voices. Kaia frowned.

She rang the doorbell. The voices immediately hushed. The knob turned, and the door opened. A familiar face came into view, as well as a few others.

"Who is it~?" asked Haruka. She blinked. "Ehhh- who- Kai?!" Haruka gaped. Kaia's eyes were wide open. But they narrowed in anger.

"Haruka… have you even thought of what I'd be going through after I moved?! And yet you ditch me…for…them…" Kaia gritted her teeth and glared at the girls behind Haruka. "They've been the ones who tormented us throughout elementary school, idiot! And yet you-"

"Kaii, they aren't that bad, trust me," Haruka looked as if she were begging.

"They aren't that bad?! Iruku, Shai, and Tsuyo, they've been rotten bullies to us! They're just being nice to you, to make you rotten like them!" accused Kaia in her rage. "Can't you remember the ones that left you, but still think of you?!"

"I've tried calling you!!"

"Do you see my bandages, Haruka?!" snarled Kaia. "Do you see the bandages on my head?! I've been bedridden for an entire two weeks, and do you think I've been anywhere other than the hospital?! Do you think you can call my new home number when I'm at the hospital, unconscious and possibly not even alive anymore?!"

"What happened, Kaia?" breathed Haruka. She looked back at her three friends behind her. "Iruku, Shai, Tsuyo, you three better not say anything bad against her." They nodded, though they glared at Kaia.

"Come in," invited Haruka. She smiled warmly. "I shouldn't keep you standing there too long."

"No. I can't endanger you either," Kaia shook her head. "I'll just talk here." Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "I don't know what happened, but you are well aware how infamous the Disciplinary Committee of the middle school is? The President is half the issue."

"President?" repeated Haruka.

"You'll know him when I speak his name," spat Kaia. "Hibari Kyouya."

"_The_ Hibari Kyouya?!" oogle-eyed Haruka. "He's scary…"

"You know the weird rumors about Namimori? They are all true," Kaia stamped her foot in emphasis. She shook her head. "Haruka, I just can't believe you…to have abandoned my memory…"

"I haven't, Kai, I haven't!" objected Haruka.

"Why have you not come to visit, when I've come to visit when I could?!" glared Kaia. "I miss you, but you don't miss me back. I can't go on blindly hoping. I've got nothing else to trust, and you've failed me."

"We're still friends, Kai, please!"

"I would like to think so too, but…" Kaia shook her head. "I can't afford to risk your well-being for mine."

"What do you mean? Kaia, I don't want to lose you!" asserted Haruka. "You're my friend, right?!"

"And you, mine. But it is because we are friends that I must do this," Kaia looked around her. "It seems that…_that person_…is after me now. Remember that person that preyed on students from Kokyou? That…mass-murderer… And I'm not lying." She looked past Haruka. "You rotten three, you just make my world darker." In fact, she didn't know much about that mass-murderer, aside from the fact that he was scary and ominous, with that creepy grin. So far, Mukuro fitted these categories. If he didn't, then he could be bent into it.

"Kai…" begged Haruka. "Don't do this to me, please…"

"Then…call me, please?" Kaia smiled a little. "I don't want this to happen either, but I don't want more than one death between us. Call me, please. Or email me; I'll get through on one of the school computers." Haruka nodded, a watery smile appearing on her face.

"I'll see you later then…" she nodded. Kaia nodded confirmation.

"I'll see all of you later, if it so happens were cross paths once more."

The door closed. Kaia remained standing in front of it. She felt like crying, she felt like storming at Haruka in rage, she felt like she didn't know what to do.

_She's moved on… She doesn't care about me anymore…_

_So I am really a discarded doll, aren't I…_

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Also, notice she isn't really thinking as she says these words. What Mukuro said about Haruka before Kaia came to visit Haruka probably got to her. Poor her.

Thanks for reading, everyone! xD

Have an awesome summer, everyone!


	81. Easing Up

Thanks for reading the last scene, everyone, and sorry for the extremely long headnote. Here's the next scene here, and please enjoy. :D

Happy Reading~!!

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"So wasn't I right?" grinned a familiar voice.

"Go away," mumbled Kaia. "Stop talking to me, okay?!" On she walked, back to the bus stop. She looked up to the sky – the clouds were gathering above her head.

_Clouds_.

"Do you know, by any chance, what Vongola is?" muttered Kaia, not knowing who she was talking to.

"Means clam. It means clam in Italian," answered Mukuro, an intelligent smile aimed at Kaia. "Why'd you ask?" He was behind her, trailing her like a lost puppy.

"Curious," Kaia mumbled, and she lowered her head to eye-level. She was at the bus stop now. "Do you know…who…Hibari Kyouya is?"

The mood immediately changed. She could feel Mukuro frown.

"Hibari Kyouya?" he repeated. "Namimori, third-year. President of the Disciplinary Committee, no doubt about it. Why ask…again?" His gaze was directed at Kaia again. "How are Italian clams and Hibari Kyouya alike?!"

"How would I know?" snapped Kaia. "All I know, he's hiding something. Like all of you. Your name is Rokudo Mukuro, right?!" She turned to meet Mukuro's eye. Mukuro grinned.

"I know I've never told you my name, Kaia-chaan. When'd I ever become famous?" Kaia heard a bit of sarcasm in his voice.

"You know what's going on, don't you?"

"What's going on? Well, what's going on is…hmm, depends," Mukuro raised an eyebrow. "Is this about dear Soto and Jasmine?"

"How do you know them?!" snarled Kaia.

"Oooohhhh, in a bad mood, aren't you? Here – let me get you something to eat," beamed the illusionist. He stood up and faced Kaia. "Come on, while you're here, let's get rid of that homesickness."

"Who said I had any homesickness?" retaliated Kaia. She indignantly stood as well. "I'm just hungry." Mukuro laughed. Of course, never forgetting that 'ku' before his laugh.

"I'll pay. You just buy whatever you want," said Mukuro. "I feel bored."

"Then I'll make you bankrupt," Kaia narrowed her eyes.

_He could be the one that kills me in the end…_

_No, there's no use assuming all this._

_If he intends to give me a good time before I leave, then why exactly am I resisting everything?_

_The clock is ticking, ticking, ticking, gone._

_I should cherish my last few moments before I'm really gone, I really should._

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"Why did I even come…" Kaia sighed to herself. She looked around at the familiar Kokyou marketplace. There were so many things to buy… But she can't really bankrupt a guy's wallet, right? Mukuro raised an eyebrow.

"Of course, to make me bankrupt, right?" Mukuro chuckled.

_That…laugh…it's so familiar for some reason… Like I've been around it for a million years already, and it never gets old. Like nostalgia._

"I was just kidding," Kaia rolled her eyes. She looked to the sky. "Cloudy," she remarked.

"Eh? Ohh," Mukuro looked to the skies as well. "Cloudy…" He grinned to himself – it reminded him of that self-centered, over-proud kid from Namimori, Hibari Kyouya. Mukuro looked to Kaia. "What do you want?? I'm bored~!"

Kaia groaned. How exactly was she supposed to deal with this?

But she noticed she was easing up on him. Perhaps he isn't that bad, right? Probably she was just assuming everything – he actually wasn't that harmful.

"Yeah, you're bored. And I don't have homesickness," stated Kaia. She had homesickness for Kokyou, but she knew that this wasn't her home anymore. She had no true home.

"Whatever. Then what do you want to do?" Mukuro grinned. "I mean, we can't just stand around." He patted Kaia on the head, which slightly irritated her. "What do you want to do, Kaia??"

"How would I know?" muttered Kaia. She looked away, observing the stores. "How's Chrome?"

"Hmm? Chrome? She's fine," Mukuro shrugged it off. He yawned. "Why can't we just do something fun?? I've been doing nearly nothing for the last week…"

"Nothing?!"

"Nothing fun, that is," Mukuro replied. Kaia sat down at an outdoor table beside a restaurant.

She remembered the day after she moved in – the day she went to the Namimori marketplace, the day when the table she had been sitting at had been so rudely crushed by a boy and a long-haired guy with a sword for an arm. But she looked back farther in her past – she didn't like thinking about Namimori.

"_Mama!! Look, I can fly!!" The younger Kaia stood atop a circular table, doing a pose like Superman. "I can fly-fly-fly~!!"_

"_T-That's great, Kaia! But please get down now, Mama needs to go. Come, Kaia! Raiahu Kaiashi, come here right now!!" The playful frown danced on her mother's face. She was laden with groceries, and she had set some of it on the ground._

"_But Mama, I can fly!!" beamed the child. Kaia's mother laughed._

"_Come on, we have to get going, Kaia. Please?"_

"_Coming, mommy~!!" rang the younger Kaia, and climbed down off of the table. She ran up to her mother. They held hands, and Kaia's mother gave the young Kaia some of the groceries to hold on the way home._

"You are really bored, too, right?" yawned Mukuro, shaking Kaia out of her thoughts. He looked intently at Kaia. "Don't tell me – you want to eat something here?" He cracked a crooked smile. "The food here isn't that good, you know?"

"I know that," Kaia said. "I've lived here a long time, you know. Come on, I'd rather sit somewhere else anyway."

"Whatever," shrugged Mukuro, and the two stood up and walked off to explore more of the marketplace.

"Do you know the time?" Kaia asked.

"All I know is that it's been around fifteen minutes, I think, since you came."

"Okay. Fifteen minutes, and I'm going back." Mukuro frowned at Kaia's decision.

"Fifteen minutes?" repeated Mukuro. "Just fifteen minutes?"

"Look, I can come back whenever I want," Kaia rolled her eyes. "I just can't be here all the time – my apartment is in Namimori, and my school is in Namimori."

"Fine," shrugged Mukuro. "It just means you have fifteen minutes to spend."

"Hey, I've never seen that here before," Kaia pointed to a building, stories higher than the low-level structures beside it. "What's that?"

"An unfinished building; I think it's for a new company," shrugged Mukuro. "You want to check it out?"

"I don't care, just as long as I still have time to catch my bus."

The two entered the site – the outside of the building looked as if it were a finished project already. But when they eased open the door, they saw just empty space inside. One, big, empty space without separate rooms. The boards were yet to be painted, and there wasn't any furniture inside. Bare light bulbs hang from the ceiling, dangling from unprotected electric wires, shedding light for the workers to work in the building, whose windows had been blocked so that the workers could keep the glass from breaking from the inside. Echoes followed their footsteps as they walked around, admiring the work done by the construction workers. This was only the first level – the ceiling was much lower than it was from outside, and there was a set of stairs to the side. Kaia looked around in wonder, eyes shining in amazement like a child.

"This is so cool!" she breathed. Mukuro suppressed a laugh when he turned his head. Kaia ran to the staircase and looked up to the second level. It was empty as well. Kaia turned to Mukuro and said, "This is so awesome…" Kaia laughed. "Just…" She shook her head in wonder. "I don't know how they could plan and build something this awesome in less than three weeks."

"This is perfect, actually. Let's play hide-and-seek," Mukuro grinned. "I'll hide. You seek, hmm?" And before Kaia could say anything else, he ran up the stairs to the second floor. Kaia turned and just gaped at him.

"What- I never agreed to this!" Kaia just gaped at him, scoffed at him, shut her mouth, and went after him with a crazed laugh. "Where are you?!"

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Kaia really is easing up on Mukuro. O.o

Also, a reminder: you can re-vote as many times as you want. Happy Voting! xD

Thanks for reading, too! Please review!

Have an awesome summer [break] everyone!! xD


	82. Rail Jumping

Sigh~

I haven't been here for days. And I haven't been updating. D:

I am **sooooooo** behind! Dx

Sorry, everyone! I've been a little busier since the last updates, and I started yet another Fanfiction. This time it's in the section for Pokémon. I can't believe I actually started one for Pokémon. Can you believe it? No, I can't. Well, I've started Fanfictions everywhere. Just can't get very far at all.

And I've actually given the link to this fanfiction to a teacher of mine, too, so I say hi to her. *waves*

I can see that Evanescences Angel is very happy that I mentioned her and her apparent condition of being taped to the computer screen just to finish reading the story up to this point. And I congratulate her again for also noting what I wrote in the head notes last time I updated.

Right now, I have safely more than 66k word count on words bunched up on scene 101. Which is safely past scene 150. Maybe past scene 160.

Speaking of scenes, I've decided to make the scenes twice as long [800-2800 words] but I would update twice a day instead. Happy? ;]

If anyone has something to say about that, please PM/review me. xD

Coming back to the subject… Evanescences Angel has also said that Kaia's little 'tap,' or major blow in the head that could have ended up in a broken skull if Hibari had known how to utilize Cloud Flames already [sorry, no offense Evanescences Angel, if you see any offense D:], is stuff for drama. Or the pain that resulted from it. And for what Kaia was like before all that trauma and stuff, that would be coming back soon. After Kaia gets better. And we'll delve into what she was like before later into the story as well. Information of Kaia's not-dramatic past and what it was like before. And, of course, about her parents. xD

Come to think of it, this part of the story was roughly written in early May. Or late April. But after Spring Break.

I'm drifting off of the subject again. That always happens when I rant, so no biggie. :]

And for the mary-sue, as I told Evanescences Angel, it will be toned down. Ria won't be appearing anytime that soon. Neither would the wings – not anytime soon. And the why? It'll come in time. I'm not sure, but I think it'll come sometime with the Millifore/Future Arc. And that Arc will be coming. As I told you readers before, that will come at scene 90. And I am not mistaken.

Poor Evanescenes Angel. Misses Bel. Well, the Ninth's punishment to the Varia won't really be light.

"And note that logically, the punishment for the Varia isn't going to be anything less than painful or prolonged." As quoted from the review reply.

Chrome would be coming back very soon. Before scene 90, I assure you. YAY CHROME! xD

And here's the scoreboard, due to votes. Here you go:

Mukuro/Kaia: 8 [and 5 re-votes from Shin] [one of the votes are from Shoko-Chan, and she re-votes twice]

**Gokudera/Kaia: 5** [and 1 1/2 re-votes from Shin] [another re-vote from Crazee4anime] [a re-vote from little-L.A.M.]

**Belphegor/Kaia: 5 **[a re-vote from The Great Pineapple MEKI] [a re-vote from RemStrike78] [and a re-vote from AkaMizu-Chan]

**Hibari/Kaia: 4 **[a re-vote from that~one]

Yamamoto/Chrome: 2 [and 2 re-votes from Shin] [and a re-vote from Banyou]

Hibari/Haruka: 2 [and another re-vote from Shin]

Mukuro/Kaia **with a Hibari twist**: 1 [and 3 re-votes from Shoko-Chan]

Belphegor/Kaia with a Mukuro twist: 1

**Soto/Kaia: 1**

Byakuran/Kaia: 1

Xanxus/Kaia: 1

Actually, I didn't update anything. Sorry, ChinaDang. I was sort of confused with your vote. Please clarify, ChinaDang. Otherwise, the vote would not count as a valid one until you clarify. Thanks, ChinaDang, for reviewing anyway…

So, that's about it for the headnotes. I shouldn't make them any longer. Ah, and also, I'll be updating more scenes after this. To make up for the time I was gone. :]

Happy Reading! [and don't forget to review at the end!]

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Kaia sighed. She was on some level that is really high now; she hadn't thought of keeping count after it went above the tenth floor.

"Hello~? You there?" she blinked, looking around each floor, checking for Mukuro. He sure could run up stairs – he's probably at the top floor anyway, wherever that is. "Hello??" Before moving on to the next level, she paused.

It was that feeling again, and she was surprised she hadn't noticed it before. That feeling of being watched, it was back. Kaia whipped around in all directions.

Nobody.

"Mukuro?!" Kaia's voice hinted at a bit of accusation. "You aren't playing any tricks, right?! _Right?!_" There was no reply. Her voice only echoed in the gigantic room. With a last wary glance, Kaia turned her back and headed for the next floor.

"Where are you?!" she cried. She ran up to the next level and looked around, but there was no-one. Kaia groaned aloud, and she grabbed hold of the wooden railing and dashed upwards to the next floor. "Mukuro, there's no time for games! I'm going to miss my bus!!" She looked around suspiciously, as if looking for the one staring at her. But she saw nobody.

She paused. There were sounds, like…machinery…coming from outside. There were loud, gruff voices, shouting orders. There was a low but loud rumbling throughout the site, and the groans of metal against metal, as if…working…

"We have to go, now, Kaia." She turned her head to the stairwell – Mukuro had been making his way down. "The construction workers are here. We can't be seen, so come on!!" The illusionist flew down the stairs, grabbed Kaia by the hand, and yanked her down with him.

"What- hey, what's the big rush?! You're going to get me a broken bone or something!!" shouted Kaia, trying to slow down their pace. But there was a nagging feeling at the back of her head – why is it that when Mukuro had appeared, had that feeling of being watched disappear?

"How else can we get to ground floor before they come in? If they get inside before we get out, we're cornered! It's more than twenty floors in less than a minute, so come on!!" Mukuro stopped and turned to Kaia. "How well can you jump?"

"…what?!" gaped Kaia. "Don't tell me we're jumping railings…"

"Just come on! This place might be private, and on top of that, probably reinforced with the laws of the city! We're probably going to get arrested, Kaia!!" And with that, Mukuro climbed onto the railing and leaped off, landing perfectly on the other side, one level down. He looked to Kaia, stunned with disbelief. "You try."

"What?! I-I can't do it, seriously!"

"Just try," Mukuro glanced downwards in concern. "We have to get going. I'll just walk down and meet you there, okay?" He disappeared from sight, but his rapid footsteps did not cease to echo throughout the building. Kaia bit her lip. If she jumped, she didn't know what would happen. But if she stayed, what would happen? She, without a doubt, would get in trouble. If she's fined, she hasn't any possible way to pay.

"Mukuro?" she meeped.

"What is it?!" Mukuro's breaths were quick. He sounded as if he had already gone quite a few floors down. "Did you jump yet?!"

"No…" Kaia shook her head, and she could imagine Mukuro's expression immediately twisting into anger.

"Then what is it?"

"If… If I jump and something happens, and if I fall to ground floor, can you make sure I don't get hurt?" Kaia blushed a little.

"I can't guarantee that, but I'll try," panted Mukuro. "Just go ahead and jump already! I'm on the thirteenth floor already, and I think you'll make it."

Kaia bit her lip. She could fall to her death if she jumped, but she had to believe in herself. She remembered the time when Soto brought her to that big, empty, spacious room underground – it was there where he made Kaia do dangerous stunts and tricks and an assortment of other things as well. She managed to do at least one of those things successfully – why can't she jump a few meters out?

She climbed onto the railing and looked to the other side. It seemed so far away, and she didn't think she could do it.

But she summoned her courage and jumped.

She jumped short.

Kaia realized that, and also the fact of how soon she would fall, how Mukuro wouldn't be able to catch her if he had thirteen floors to run down.

She fell…

…and fell…

…and fell.

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So. That's the end of this scene [with a cliffie. Heh…]. Please review, and vote if you want. That reminds me. I have to go work on my profile now. Remember, I still didn't finish that. :]

Have an awesome summer [break]!

Or you can hang around until the next scene gets posted. xD


	83. Kokyou, Departed

And I'm back! :]

Here ends the Mukuro/Kaia pairing introduction to the story. Enjoy reading…

Happy Reading, and please review afterwards! xD

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She hit the ground, but it didn't hurt as much as it was supposed to hurt – the fall would have immediately broken something, Kaia was sure of that.

"Are you okay?" panted a male voice. "You didn't get hurt, right?" Kaia blinked, and her eyes widened in shock. Mukuro had actually caught her. But she didn't have any time to think any more than that. She processed the fact that she had landed in his arms. She processed the fact that Mukuro had let her down, grabbed her hand again, and led her to the door at running speed. They burst through the door, the back door. There was an opening in the fence – they ran through it, out onto the streets.

"It's raining," Kaia noted under her breath. She stopped running and just stood in the middle of the road, panting and enjoying the rain. She looked to Mukuro. The Mist Guardian took off his jacket and tossed it on her head.

"You'll get a cold standing out in the rain like that," remarked Mukuro. "It's not nice to get sick, so don't get sick." He looked around – the rain was so thick, it was like fog, obscuring and blurring the things around them. The skies were dark, heavily laden with rain yet to fall upon them. Kaia couldn't tell which neighborhood she was in. An arm snaked around her shoulder. "There – let's go under the trees over there."

He led Kaia, under his arm, to the shelter of the trees. Kaia sat down at the root of the mighty trunk, and stared out at the rain.

_It's always sunny at first, isn't it? But then clouds come along. They're so cute and fluffy at first, like best friends with the sun and sky. But then it turns dark and scary, and then it starts to rain…a storm. And then there's thunder and lightning… But then, in the end, it always goes away again, and the sun shines again. But then there's other times when the clouds float really low down, and it blurs whatever we see, like fog or mist or smoke. And then there's hurricanes, typhoons, tornadoes, droughts, wind, light breezes… Soto always liked nighttime best for some reason – it's when all the stars come out on clear nights, all shiny and sparkling…_

The rain pattered on the street like a rain of marbles dropping from the sky and hitting the ground, disappearing rather than shattering.

Suddenly, the calm, serene feeling dissipated.

"What time is it?" Kaia muttered.

"Not sure," answered Mukuro. "But I'm pretty sure that night is approaching, if it hasn't fallen already."

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"You were late," remarked Hibari. He wasn't happy. Kaia could tell, and she was well aware of it. She was sitting on her couch at home, and Hibari stood on the other side of the coffee table, glaring down at her.

"Sorry," she mumbled, head bowed.

"Don't ever be late," said Hibari. Kaia nodded. Hibari looked in the direction of the door as he thought of leaving. "Glass shards?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Ignore that," Kaia mumbled, casting a hateful look at the glass, still scattered on the ground. "It just broke." She looked away.

"What do you mean, just broke?" Hibari kneeled and began to pick the pieces up. He caught the faint smell of flowers. Hibari stood up, rage in his eyes once more. "A gift, was it?"

"Glass vase of flowers," said Kaia. "A gift from someone." She closed her eyes in anguish.

"Who?" Hibari's hand let go of the glass; the shards landed on the ground once more. His murderous aura intensified.

"I don't know," Kaia choked. "_Them_?" Her head was in her hands; she tried to force herself to believe these Namimori people were harmless, but it was useless.

She was going to die.

Die by their hands.

"Every time I see you, Kaia, why is it that you seem to be suffering?" Hibari seemed to sigh. "Is it to say that you really do like that stupid herbivore back?"

"W-What do you mean?" Kaia half-laughed, as if she were trying to not believe it, "I-I'm not suffering… A-And I- I don't know what you mean by… 'stupid herbivore'…" She chuckled nervously again. She threw herself against the couch. Her head rested on the couch, looking up into the ceiling.

"Gokudera Hayato," Hibari growled, as if he were his archenemy, but as if their powers are anywhere close to each other's. "Since Tuesday."

"Gokudera-san…" Kaia shook her head. "He's rude, he's a smoker, and he's mean… Why would I?" She bit her lip.

"How would I know? I don't know how you think," Hibari huffed. "I have to go." He stepped on the glass shards on the way out. The door slammed shut, with the tiny fragments of the glass left in its wake.

Kaia broke into tears.

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Poor Kaia… Sigh. And I don't have much to say anymore either. Please review, and vote! And suggest things about the future length of the scenes at the 100-chapter anniversary! :]

Ah, and also, about this scene. You see above, in the italics? Well, if you turn it around and inspect it and squint at it as hard as you can, you could probably see how I was thinking of how I could add Kaia into the Vongola. A new Guardian. Night, perhaps. And Star? Star is strictly mine, though. But how Kaia would be part of the Vongola? She won't be the new Night Guardian, neither would she be a Star Guardian. It's completely different, I'll tell you guys that. And if it does turn out into one of those OC-New Vongola Guardian fanfictions, it's going to be much different.

Trust me. I mapped out the entire story already. And a lot of the sequel. :]

Of course, the storyline is changeable. Depends on the voting scoreboard. And the sequel? I'll give you a hint in the Future Arc. Only thing is, I won't tell you what the hint would be. I think it'll be obvious enough to see.

Have an awesome summer, everyone! xD


	84. Abstract Arts

This scene doesn't really have one definite pairing, but it does mention Bel, if it does make you Bel-fans any better. :]

At least Kaia still acknowledges his existence. Nothing is worse than neglect. Well, I'm not sure about that, but neglect is pretty harsh.

Well, Happy Reading, everyone, and please review afterwards!

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The following days were monochrome, like back-and-white pictures. Boring, repetitive, and very dark for Kaia. She caught up in her homework and didn't stay after school anymore. She was really grateful but embarrassed about Hibari's attention to her, and Gokudera is still pretending to be himself; if Tsuna noticed this, he would have kept it to his thoughts. Gokudera would act extremely (!) weird if Tsuna asked him about it. Mukuro wasn't part of Kaia's everyday life, so she just shrugged him off. Sakura and Yuuki gradually drifted off again, though they would occasionally wave hello or exchange a few words.

Kaia was once more an outsider.

She didn't talk much anymore, aside from the times when the teacher called on her to answer a question or read from the textbook. Kaia no longer put her heart to her work – the only work she cared about was her new hobby.

Kaia remembered how Soto would always make a big deal about throwing things and the accuracy of it. And she decided to turn that emphasis into an art.

She wandered to the marketplace on Sunday. This time, she shopped in arts stores. But, not finding exactly everything she wanted, she left with only canvas boards and a few fine paintbrushes. She found a heavy duty store, and came out heavily laden with buckets of paint, enormous paintbrushes, and a ton of plastic wrap. And on she marched home.

The door swung open, and Kaia groaned with the effort to lug twelve buckets of paint, a bag of paintbrushes, a bag full of canvas boards, and her load of plastic wrap. Finally, all her groceries were inside the apartment, and Kaia shut the door. She walked to the other room [the one that Soto and Jasmine talked in, remember?] and began to move all the furniture out of the room.

Luckily, most of the heavy stuff wasn't there anymore, so Kaia didn't have to move that. There were a few bookshelves, a few chairs, a table, and other furniture and decoration. The end result was a completely blank room – the walls were even white. Kaia made her way out of the room to get her stuff – once again, it took her quite a while to drag twelve buckets of paint, one by one, into the room. She grabbed the load of plastic wrap, her canvas, and her paintbrushes, marched to the empty room, and shut the door.

There was a window in the room, so Kaia would have light in the room. Kaia took down the curtains already, so she had a sheet of paper and masking tape in hand. The paper was already taped across the window. Right now, Kaia had to worry about other things. She had to pave the floor.

Kaia took out her roll of plastic wrap and unwound some of the thick plastic off. With masking tape in hand, she taped one end to one end of the room, unrolled the plastic to the other end of the room, cut it with a pair of heavy duty scissors that Soto would constantly borrow from her, and taped it down. Since the plastic was only half a meter wide, Kaia had to repeat taping down overlapping plastic over the wooden floorboards. Once she was done, however, the floor felt like it could be jumped on all day.

She smiled to herself. Preparation was finished.

Before, she thought of covering the walls with plastic, so the walls would stay clean. However, she changed her mind. Kaia thought it would spruce the walls up a bit, give it some flavor and personality.

The artist's easel – Kaia never knew she had it. But she had just moved in, and the day she came, the furniture was all already set up for her, like magic. Kaia found it on Saturday when she was taking an inventory on what she had and didn't have. Now, the artist's easel was erected a few centimeters from the wall, a canvas positioned on it. On the other side of the room, Kaia wound up her sleeves, ready for what is to take place. At her feet are all twelve buckets of paint, opened.

She looked intently at the canvas, thinking of what she would do first. She smiled.

Kaia dipped her right hand in the scarlet red, and her left in the black. She lifted her hands out of the paint, dripping with black and red.

_Black for death, my dear, red for blood. Black for the night you came in, red for the wounds you cut. But your princely ways do not deserve royal purple._

A hand lashed out. An ugly splotch of dark red shined on the canvas. Kaia smiled to herself.

_Corrupted blood is what flows through your veins._

She dipped her right hand in the scarlet red again, then threw the paint off her fingers, onto the canvas. It was like throwing knives, just without the knives. Just like how the prince does it. This was what Kaia thought of Belphegor. This was his story, told by Kaia's point of view, painted and translated from the anger, fury, frustration, and hate that Kaia threw at the canvas. As if the canvas was Bel himself.

The paint Kaia used was thick and liquid-y, like half-dried blood. Kaia dipped her left hand in the can of white, then rubbed her hands together – a lighter, but dirty red. She threw it against the canvas. Splashes of paint landed on the walls behind the artist's easel.

Kaia was satisfied about this new hobby. She was releasing all the pent-up guilt, anger, frustration, and confusion at the canvas… like a vent. She didn't have to talk to anyone about it; otherwise, people would know her thought pattern, plan a fool-proof trap for her to die in. Also, she could sell these works of art for money to support herself- no, she couldn't do that. Kaia wouldn't bear part with these canvases; they were like her thoughts, her emotions, her sanctuary.

_I'm not normal now, and I don't think I can go back… But it hadn't even been my wish to not be normal. It was…Soto's fault, I know it. He comes back next week._

_And next week, he'll pay. He'll pay for the ruin he caused my life._

…_No. He's not my target. Not yet._

_Back to the prince, the knifeist, the one with that creepy grin._

Kaia righted herself to see her progress. The canvas was covered in paint, and some parts of it looked like it was about to drip. Kaia stepped over the cans of paint and approached the wet canvas. She gingerly took the canvas off the stand and walked to the main room. She set it on the coffee table and left it there to dry. Returning to the other room, she had in hand a blank canvas. This one was going to be another one.

The canvas was placed on the artist's easel, and Kaia took her position with the buckets of paint on the other side of the room.

She paused, and she half-ran to a corner of the room, where she put the masking tape. She ran back to the buckets of paint and closed the caps, so that the paint wouldn't dry out. With masking tape in hand, Kaia grabbed the canvas and dashed outside. She put the canvas and masking tape down on the carpet in the main room and ran to her room to fetch a pencil and eraser.

She couldn't believe she forgot.

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This scene is also very important. It somehow also serves as a foreshadow, if you squint really hard at it. Well, you can't tell. I can, though, since I've already read what the foreshadow is for. Anyway, this is also a marker that she is trying to fix herself on her own.

Showing that she doesn't need anyone to help her. That reflects on quite a few ideas in Kaia's mind later on, if it hasn't showed yet.

Well, the future arc countdown is drawing to a close. This is countdown number six then.

Have an awesome summer, everyone! Ahh, and I'm still posting, believe it or not. The next scenes will be coming momentarily, if they haven't appeared as posted yet.

You can hang around until you can move on, even, if you like.


	85. Failed Apology

Countdown number five until next arc. Woah, come to think of it, this Varia Arc-Future Arc intermission was really long, compared to the manga. Two weeks of intermission in the storyline for this story. And that took up twenty, thirty scenes? That's really long.

Also, I think this'll be the last update I will post today, after four separate scene updates. That's the most I did, ever, in a single day. And I bet you readers don't know how long it takes to update. And it does take a long time.

Well, read up!

Happy Reading, and please review at the end!

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Friday, and with Fridays came school. School whipped by without anything happening much, like last Friday, Saturday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. But right after school, Kaia thought of apologizing to Reborn about her behavior last week Monday. She was so self-centered when she said that; perhaps all her accusations weren't even true. She numbly stood up from her seat and made to leave with the throng of students hurrying out. Kaia came out into the hallway and stopped.

She realized she couldn't. When she thinks of Reborn, she thinks of what he said last Monday. Borderline Personality Disorder, BPD.

_It couldn't be true. It was either a lie or a cover-up. But…he can't be like that right? I made myself believe that, but… It simply didn't work. It just didn't work out. There's something I'm missing…_

"R-Raiahu-san?"

Kaia turned around; it was Tsuna.

"A-Are you okay? You've been really silent since last Wednesday…" Tsuna seemed to be concerned. "All of us are worried, too." He looked down to the floor. "Even Reborn." The Arcobaleno nodded. "So…can you tell us what's been bothering you?" Tsuna looked at Kaia, prying for an answer. Kaia's nose wrinkled in disgust, and her eyes narrowed angrily. At first, Tsuna seemed unfazed. Gokudera, in the back, looked up in shock. Yamamoto's grin was a lot flatter than usual, and his eyebrows were scrunched together.

"You… you're all trying to be like that, aren't you?!" There were several turned heads. Everyone in the hallway turned their head now. "You…you're all just trying to- to do bad things to me, right?! Like- Like how Hibari does it, right?" Kaia stomped her foot, like she was a child again, complaining to her parents.

"Well just give it up, okay?! You're just making me kill myself, on the long run! If that's been your goal all along, then good for you!! I-" Kaia stopped. She bit her lip and looked away.

_I can't do this, right? I couldn't do this to the people that had tolerated me for this long… But I can't live like that any longer. I just can't._

"I hate you all!"

_I can't do it._

Kaia fell to her knees, her hands covering her face, silent tears flowing down her cheeks.

"I hate you all, I _hate_ you!!" she cried. "The way you make me feel this way… I _hate_ you!" A few of the turned heads quickly refocused and hurried away. Tsuna and his Guardians were stunned at what they did, rather, what Tsuna did.

"R-Raiahu-san…" Tsuna took a step backwards unconsciously, not knowing how to deal with this. "What do you mean…making you feel…that way?"

"Shut…up," Kaia choked and rubbed her eye. "All of you know, all of you! I hate you!" Gokudera was taken aback. Reborn's face was hidden with his fedora. His frown, however, didn't signal any good news. Tsuna kneeled down.

"Do you know…how thin the barrier is between love and hate?" Tsuna cracked a hopeful smile. "We're all a big, happy family, right?" Gokudera blinked.

_Juudaime's right. He could only be referring to the Vongola, and-_

Gokudera remembered the bitter fact of Kaia's inclusion in the family. How exactly would she be involved? With the family, or as just Tsuna's support, like stupid woman or Kyoko? Kaia's tears refused to stop, and she began to whimper like a puppy.

"No, we're not, okay? We're not that big, we're not happy, and we're not even family, okay? Get it?" cried Kaia. "I don't know why I- I don't know now. I know you guys are capable of killing, so there's no problem that you can't just kill me right here and right now, right?

"I don't want to do anything but be normal, but nooo, you had to go around and mess up my life! I wanted the attention a normal person gets! I wanted the grades a normal person gets! I wanted the friends a normal person gets! I wanted the hobbies, the personality, the-the everything a normal person gets! And I did, at first! And then came along you guys, telling me to do this, do that, and it ate up my life, okay?! Get it?! _It ate up my life!!_"

"Quit your whining, okay?!" growled Gokudera. Tsuna turned in amazement. "Why the hell would Soto spend such a long time with you, stuffing you full with skills and knowledge?! He wouldn't do that if you weren't worth it! Who knows – you probably wouldn't regret this when you grow up!"

"But why would you wait for the BPD to eat me alive?! Why would you say something like that when Soto had already predicted my death?!" Kaia glared at Gokudera, rubbing her eyes and trying to rub away the redness of her cheeks.

She hated herself for doing this to them. They hated her for doing this. Hate, hate, when would you ever go away?!

The hallway was silent now. The stray students had all wandered away now. This would be the typical time Hibari would be wandering the halls, looking for stragglers. Tsuna's eyes were wide and shocked, nearly scared. Yamamoto was obviously caught off guard. Gokudera, he was frozen in shock.

"BPD cannot eat you alive, Kaia," Reborn said. "_You_ are eating yourself alive."

"What do you mean, eating myself alive?! I'm-I'm perfectly fine, a-am I?" Kaia looked away, teeth gritted, trying to erect a wall to hold in her feelings. "Then fine. Fine, okay?! I don't care anymore! I'm going." She shakily picked herself up. Tsuna stepped forward to help, but Kaia waved him away. She picked up her bag and began to walk away.

"Oh no, she can't mean that…" Reborn scrunched his eyebrows together, his grim expression expressing his overwhelming foreboding. "Kaia!!" Kaia did not hear him; if she did, she ignored it and walked on.

"Reborn, what did you mean?" Tsuna mumbled, looking down to his tutor. Reborn jumped onto his shoulder.

"Ask Yamamoto. About how he joined."

Gokudera started.

"What- Reborn, not… not that…" Tsuna's expression was too scared for Kaia to put into words. Tsuna turned to see Kaia, still walking down the hallway. "K-Kaia, don't!!"

"Shut up. [Ku-ro-sai.]" That was Kaia's reply – soft and light, but it broke their hearts. It was like she had no resolution, no care for living anymore. Tsuna and Gokudera looked away. Yamamoto's smile was no more, but a thin, pursed line. Reborn looked to the two Guardians from his perch on Tsuna's shoulder.

"Gokudera, I know you can keep an eye on her. Make sure she doesn't do anything stupid," ordered Reborn. Gokudera nodded. He knew Reborn referred to 'anything stupid' as to harming herself or anyone else. Tsuna was concerned, and he could not bear taking a look at Kaia again.

"Crowding?"

Tsuna, Gokudera, and Yamamoto turned. Hibari's eyes were aflame. Kaia had already turned the corner, and now Hibari stood at that end of the hallway in her place.

"And not only crowding, but loitering after class? I'll have to bite you to death."

"We were just leaving," grumbled Gokudera, glaring daggers at Hibari. "And if it's about Kaia, shut the f*** up and go to hell. It wasn't our fault, I'll let you know that."

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Sigh, poor girl. Finally actually losing her bearing. She wasn't thinking when she said all that – just expressed her emotions. What she was feeling got the best of her.

And Gokudera's ending statement? He was avoiding a fight. That time wasn't the time for a fight, you know. Of course you know. But Hibari was feeling a bit revengeful [take the 'a bit' out of there and replace it with 'very, very'; then it would make a little more sense] and he wanted to punish someone. Especially those he despised.

Oh well. Anyhoo, please review, vote as well if you want, and please, some suggestions for the new length of the scenes after the 100-scene/101-scene anniversary.

Thanks, everyone, and have an awesome summer [break] everyone!


	86. Chosing the Righthand Man

Ah. Back, again, for more updates! :]

This time, I'll post five scenes for today's update – as I said, scene 90 is when we get into the Future Arc. Officially.

Come to think of it, this little intermission between the Varia Arc and the Future Arc is extremely long. And also, come to think of it, didn't I say that before?

…never mind.

Right now, I have 150 reviews and nearly 11,500 hits on this single story! And a total of more than 30 alerts and faves attached to the story [not mentioning Author faves or alerts]! Thank you, everyone, for reading! I am so grateful and happy and excited and awesome-feeling!

Since there were no votes, the scoreboard will not be re-posted.

And also, since nobody had any suggestions about the length of the scenes after the 100 scene anniversary, the scenes would become sections. Sections would be twice as long as scenes [800-2800 words, averaging at about 1650 words?], but will be update once every two days. However, I've decided to do three section updates a week – each once every two days, and one day for rest. And plus, they would be updated on three certain days of the week. It'll be easier to keep track and to know when to check for them.

Right now, if I updated scenes once a day, then it would be at scene 107 – if I kept on going with scenes. I would update Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. July 15th would be the 100-scene anniversary, and after that, there would be section updates. Right now, we should be at Section 3. Or Section 103.

Yes, mathematically, the story would move along a little slower than before. But then again, school's going to return soon. I need that time to get prepared for school and have fun with the rest of my time in summer break.

I have 67.5k words bunched up at 101, which would be, when split up, in total, safely over 140. In scene count, 180 scenes.

Amazing I could write that much. O.o

With the actual story, there won't be much humor in it, sadly, as the Future Arc is approaching [finally! :D]. After it, however, would definitely at least have some humor in it. And about last scene's Kaia-emo-moment, sorry, AkaMizu-Chan, for not explaining.

Kaia's only a teenager. She doesn't have the guts to deal physical damage to herself and live with it. She's afraid of putting a knife to her wrist, much less to her own throat. The bottom line is that she doesn't really care anymore. If she were asked to do something life-threatening, she wouldn't care. Anyway, you'll see her doesn't-care attitude spring up later.

Which comes back to the story's title – Wasted Life.

Anyway, please enjoy today's updates! :]

Oh, and also, if you don't really quite get what Reborn's referring to, please go read the Katekyo Hitman Reborn! Manga, chapter 21.

Happy Reading, and please review after reading!

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Saturday was the day after. It was a half-day of school, but still, Kaia was nervous about even going outside entirely. Now, all the time, she had a feeling that someone was always watching her… But, she felt a little better; she finished the main colors for her canvases – the canvases for those four. She thought back to her paint-splattered room, and all four canvases lined up neatly, drying. Kaia sighed.

School had whipped by like a paintball. It was already afterschool, and for some reason, Tsuna called her to meet behind the school's main building. Kaia didn't really care anymore, shrugged, and agreed to go. Tsuna seemed a bit apprehensive, as if he didn't know what was going to happen, and added that it was all Reborn's idea, and that Reborn hadn't even told him anything. Kaia just nodded at that.

She was at the appointed meet place. Gokudera was leaning on the wall, apparently bored. Yamamoto stood around as well, as if waiting for someone. Tsuna soon walked into view, coming from the other side. Reborn was hurrying in front of him, obviously pleased to see that Kaia came.

"Thank you very much for coming, Kaia," Reborn nodded. Kaia gave him a momentary smile, or, rather, a polite grimace. Reborn turned to everyone and said, "We will be continuing the selection for right-hand man."

"I thought that was already settled!" growled Gokudera, visibly twitching for some reason. "And she's not worthy of being the right-hand man of Juudaime!"

"If you remember, last year, both Gokudera and Yamamoto have not fulfilled the requirements to be right-hand man. This year, I have decided to give Kaia a chance as well," Reborn motioned to Kaia. "To be the right-hand man, you must tolerate and take care of Lambo and I-Pin."

"What?! She's a girl!" objected Gokudera. "That's cheating! And she isn't even strong enough to- to be Juudaime's right-hand man!" Gokudera frowned. He had nearly said 'Vongola,' and it wouldn't have been very fun to deal with Kaia after that.

"If she can pacify Lambo and I-Pin at their worst, then she passes," Reborn looked intently at Gokudera. The Storm reluctantly kept himself from saying any more. He knew that Tsuna was watching; he couldn't be disrespectful when Juudaime is watching.

"Then…where are they?" spoke Kaia.

"Wandering somewhere in Namimori," answered Reborn. "You should go find them." Tsuna raised an eyebrow in question, but remained silent.

"And why should I become right-hand man of…him?" Kaia glanced at Tsuna. She was emotionless now; numb, unfeeling, robotic. "I have my own things to do."

"But you can't leave two toddlers out in the streets like that, right?" Reborn shrugged. "It's naturally moral to make sure they're safe."

"And what gives you the right to let them wander off like that?!" blinked Kaia, her voice soft and angry simultaneously. "Yakuza crawls all over the place!" She sighed dejectedly, turned around, and set off to find the kids.

After she disappeared from sight, Tsuna turned on Reborn.

"What are you planning, Reborn?!" frowned Tsuna. "She can't be my right-hand man! She doesn't even know anything about the mafia or anything! And why are you letting her become the right-hand man just by finding Lambo and I-Pin?" Reborn's eyes glinted, almost as if the task was much more than met the eye, as if he had more to tell.

"I'm glad you asked."

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Ooooh~ Creepy. xD

Tomorrow will be an update of two scenes, then will revert to the original one scene update per day – until the 100-scene anniversary.

Keep on reading! Go to the next scene – and if it hasn't appeared yet, feel free to hang around until it does, or review while you wait! Or review right now before going on!


	87. Byakuran

Keep on reading…and please review at either the end, or at each chapter end…

Ah, yes, and so appears another familiar face. :]

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"Lambo…? I-Pin…?" Kaia called out softly. She looked around and decided to reluctantly drop by Tsuna's house. Of course, Lambo lived under the same roof, so someone there would obviously know what became of Lambo. The Sawada nameplate came into view, and Kaia carefully entered the front yard. She came up to the door and knocked.

The door opened, presenting a vaguely familiar face.

"Hello~! Aren't you Kaia-chan?" beamed Nana.

"Umm, I'm looking for Lambo-chan and I-Pin-chan…" Kaia began. "Do you know where they went?"

"Ahhh, well the last time I saw them was when Bianchi took them out for shopping with Fuuta-chan…" Nana answered. Kaia nodded.

"Arigato-goseimasta~!" Kaia bowed, and she ran past the front gate of the Sawada household, in the direction of the shopping district. Nana just smiled on, beaming with pride. Her expression softened to a smirk. Nana laughed to herself and shut the front door, so she could resume her activities.

Meanwhile, Kaia ran to the shopping district, again, along the narrow little road Gokudera walks on. Randomly choosing an exit, she turned off the main trail and out into a crowd of shoppers, taking advantage of the weekend sales. She looked left and right, but found no toddlers running loose.

But she wasn't completely blind to everything else, either. There were people who kept looking at her. Kaia thought it was suspicious, but put that at the back of her mind. Her focus was to get Lambo and I-Pin to safety.

She decided to check the park next; the quietness of the place would prove simple to hear Lambo's loud, obnoxious comments. However, the place was packed with people going on walks; chatter was everywhere. Kaia kept away from there, and slipped into the grid of neighborhoods. It was quiet there, and it satisfied Kaia. She would immediately know whether Lambo is within the unmistakable range of fifteen meters.

Suddenly, an explosive went off at her feet. Kaia jumped backward with fright and looked up; a fully suited teenage boy, around seventeen, stepped out, grinning like a maniac.

"So I get to kill the little Vongola for free? I like playing around with toys~!"

He had white hair, triangles under his left eye. He was smiling a perfectly harmless smile, but in his hand was another explosive. He had a ring on his right hand; Kaia wondered what that was for. But then she recalled Tsuna, Gokudera, Yamamoto, Lambo, even Hibari, they all had rings.

"Wh-Who are you?" blinked the apparently unfazed but confused Kaia.

"You may call me Byakuran. Nice to meet you, Kaia-chan."

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"EHH?! You asked the Gesso Family to fight her?!" paled Tsuna. Reborn nodded.

"Not only that, there are land mines that are buried throughout the city that could be only set off by herself. Also, there are hidden machine guns like the ones you have seen in the Cloud Battle. The young, upcoming Boss was happy to fight Kaia himself."

"Upcoming Boss?" repeated Tsuna.

"Like you, Tsuna. A Boss-to-be," explained Reborn.

"But, Kaia can't fight!" the flustered Tsuna emphasized. "She doesn't know anything about the mafia either!"

"You should know, Dame-Tsuna, that this wasn't only for Kaia to become your right-hand," frowned Reborn. "Your father had to call in the Gesso himself, of course, with permission from the Boss. The Gesso have never been friends with the Vongola, however they seem to be eager enough to fulfill our wishes. This is a lot bigger than you would imagine." Gokudera immediately paled.

To think that they had called in an enemy for Kaia's sake, this was a lot more important that he could have ever thought possible. But, again, how exactly was Kaia going to be involved? It seems already that Kaia would be a major factor in the success of the Vongola, in the successful transfer of the seat of Boss.

"Don't worry, though. The Gesso Family aren't that powerful, and they're not a very large family either," Reborn added.

"But…" Tsuna shook his head.

"Juudaime, cheer up! Reborn wouldn't do this on purpose if he knew that Kaia would die for sure!!" grinned Gokudera. "I want to get yam! You want to come with me, Juudaime?"

"Ehh- y-yam?" Tsuna blinked in confusion.

"Yeah!!" beamed Gokudera, trying to cheer up Juudaime. Dwelling too long on Kaia would be boring, too. It was Saturday; talking all day wouldn't be fun.

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You guys are probably asking why Tsuna's dad had to invite the Gesso to Japan. The reason is to see if Kaia can utilize the skills she learned against a living opponent. That was it. She had to be useful if she's going to be part of Tsuna's family.

Anyway, keep on reading…there's three more scenes to go!


	88. Parting the Meeting

This scene is short, but still part of the story.

Happy Reading, and please review!

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"Wait… You came from Italy, too, right?" Kaia raised an eyebrow.

"Yup!" beamed the young man. "Just flew in yesterday. Japan's awesome!" He shrugged.

"You seem to know about the Vongola, don't you?"

"Vongola? It means clam in Italian, of course," grinned the seventeen-year-old. "Clams can be toys. And you have to kill clams in order to eat them too."

"You aren't telling me, either, aren't you?!" Kaia narrowed her eyes. She sighed and looked away. "Sorry, just ignore that."

An explosion, and Kaia landed on the ground.

"You should never turn your back to your opponent, you know that?" drawled Byakuran. Kaia gritted her teeth.

"What opponent? I don't know about what you are doing, picking a fight with someone so small like me, but I have things to do. Have a nice day." Kaia picked herself up and began to walk away. Byakuran just laughed.

"You don't want me to _really_ begin to fight, right?" grinned Byakuran

"Which is why I choose not to fight you."

"I have orders to fight you, even if you don't want to."

Kaia continued to walk. Byakuran followed.

"Hey, don't tell me you're one of Tsuna-san's friends, right?" asked Kaia. Byakuran stopped in his tracks.

"Tsuna?" repeated Byakuran, a growing smile stretching across his face. "I am not." Kaia stopped and turned.

"What?" Kaia narrowed her eyes. "You are both the same, stupid people, okay?! Just shut up, go home, or something! Stop terrorizing my life!"

The explosive in Byakuran's hand suddenly exploded. Kaia blinked a few times, but she turned and ran for it; she didn't know what happened, but she knew it was to her advantage.

By the time she disappeared, Byakuran walked from the cloud of smoke, apparently unharmed. He was impressed.

"Aren't you interesting?" grinned Byakuran, eyes shining maliciously.

Though Kaia didn't want to think about it…

And Byakuran was happy to know it…

This was only the beginning.

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"U-shi-shi-shi~!" drifted a voice. Byakuran whipped around.

"If I'm not mistaken, it's one of the Varia, right?" Byakuran smiled. "This is a lot more fun than I had originally thought."

"Oh, I'm not here to fight," grinned Belphegor, stepping into view. "I'm just a freeloader on your flight. All I came was to tell you something, and for you to never forget it."

"And what might that be, Varia?" Byakuran looked highly amused. Belphegor's ever-lasting smile suddenly disappeared.

"Kaia is strictly Vongola property. Don't you steal her, you scum."

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Yeah, Bel dropped in. :]

Keep on reading…two more scenes! :D


	89. Righthand Man, Chosen

And here ends one mini-episode, and begins another. xD

Keep reading, and please review!

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Kaia never knew that it would be so simple, after the appearance of Byakuran. Tsuna was shocked, imagining Kaia defeating opponents from the Gesso family, dodging bullets, and avoiding land mines – and escaping from it all without a scratch. Gokudera was speechless. Yamamoto, well he was just glad that the kids were found. He wasn't too happy to find that the position of right-hand man was no longer available, though.

Lambo and I-Pin were strangely wandering about, on the swings in the playground. Bianchi and Fuuta were there as well; there wasn't anything wrong. Now Reborn, Yamamoto, Tsuna, Gokudera, and Kaia were gathered on the sidewalk, finalizing the competition.

"Well then," concluded Reborn. "Kaia is Tsuna's official right-hand man."

"What?!" cried Gokudera. "Like she even wants to be his right-hand man! She wouldn't even be useful at all!!"

"I should add that Kaia met the Boss-to-be, the strongest Mafioso set out to target Kaia," whispered Reborn.

"Eh?! So she really defeated him?!" cried Tsuna in surprise. Gokudera gaped.

"No," answered the Arcobaleno. "It's called restraint. You guys always go fight whenever you can. Kaia, on the other hand, wouldn't fight unless it was inescapable. This is like Tsuna here. Someone who wants to fight all the time wouldn't really be fit to advise a boss that dislikes conflict." Reborn looked to Gokudera. "However, it _is_ Tsuna's choice in the end, when he is named Vongola Decimo. We still can work out a compromise so that you wouldn't destroy Vongola Headquarters in rage." Reborn chuckled. Gokudera flushed and shook his head in embarrassment. Yamamoto laughed. Tsuna frowned.

"I still object Kaia being the right-hand man," pouted the Storm Guardian.

"Well, it is reasonable," added Reborn. He lowered his voice; Kaia was kept out of knowing about the Vongola. "You steal her spot, so she steals yours." Reborn shrugged. "Not that it matters. It's just something that Tsuna can look back to when he chooses his right-hand man." Gokudera immediately turned to Tsuna.

"Aren't I much more worth being your right-hand man, Juudaime? Aren't I?!" Gokudera asked, or, rather, demanded. Tsuna was in a fix. He couldn't say something that would either go against Reborn or disappoint Gokudera.

"What do you mean, I met the Boss-to-be Mafioso?! Don't' tell me that this _Vongola_ is part of some criminal organization! And what's this about trading positions?!" hissed Kaia. "I'm here, you know; it's not like I'm deaf." Her eyes aflame with accusation. "Don't tell me that high-schooler kid was a member of the Mafia, either."

"Kaia-" began Reborn. He was positive Kaia never heard anything; he was the best Mafioso in the world, for goodness's sake! How could he miscalculate Kaia's hearing? Her ears are just like the average human's. Reborn raised an eyebrow. He had never known that Kaia was already able to use** that** already…

Reborn leaped high into the air and delivered a devastating kick on Kaia's head. She collapsed on the ground. Reborn smiled a satisfactory smile. Tsuna paled.

"Reborn, what was that for?!"

"If I didn't do that, she would have found out everything by now," Reborn replied in a matter-of-fact voice. "Oh yeah, and the Ninth invited us back to Mafia Land. All of us."

"Again?!" Tsuna retaliated. "A-And what do you mean all of us?!"

"It's a surprise," grinned Reborn. "It'll relax all of you; it's a special gathering for the Vongola and allies."

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Yeah, it's yet another Mafia Land trip. And everyone's going…more details will come next scene.

Keep on reading! Or review first, then go on to the next scene… :]


	90. The First Case of TimeTravel

This scene is a little long, but it is the official start of the Future Arc.

And yes, they do not manage to go to Mafia Land anytime soon.

Keep reading!

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Tsuna sighed. Reborn was being weird all over again; another trip to Mafia Land?! Tsuna was sure he wouldn't be able to survive this time. But it was a special gathering for the Vongola and their allies. Tsuna would be stared down by tons of Mafioso – some who are amazed, some who are honored to meet him.

First off, how in the world would they get there?! Not another cruise, of course. Definitely not another cruise. Second of all, people would obviously try to ask who Tsuna's right hand man would be. Third of all, if non-mafia people come, like Kyoko, of course, it would be a complete mess. Fourth of all, he hadn't a single clue what it was about. All he knew was that it was a surprise. But it's Sunday now.

He had no clue that the special gathering was Monday.

"Reborn, why wouldn't you tell me what it's all about?! Why are we all going to Mafia Land anyway?!" whined Tsuna. "Kaa-san doesn't seem to know, and nobody else, either!" He dumped a pile of clothes into his luggage case. Reborn smirked.

"Of course they don't know, Dame-Tsuna. It's a special gathering specifically for the Vongola and the allies," said the tutor. "You, as the Vongola Tenth, and your family, the Guardians, are accounted for as Vongola." Tsuna turned.

"EHH?! Then-"

"I've already told Maman an excuse."

"What?! Excuse?!"

"Special school field trip," answered the Arcobaleno. Tsuna's jaw fell limp.

"Field trip?!" he repeated in disbelief. "Then…who else?"

"The Vongola family, of course." Reborn grinned at Tsuna's shocked expression. "Everyone who could come had to come. Like a summons, remember in the Sky Battle?" Tsuna piled more stuff in his luggage case.

"But… What about Mukuro, or…the Varia?" questioned Tsuna, anxious to know. "Are they coming, or are they at least fine?" Tsuna, of course, wouldn't have really liked it if either came; who knew what havoc they would cause while they were there?

"They are not dead, but I believe they are not able to come," said Reborn. "Chrome will be coming, though." He shrugged.

"How long would it be?" frowned Tsuna. He didn't want to be cooped up in his room catching up in homework again; that was nearly like being in hell already.

"Not sure," answered Reborn. "There'll be time to at least ride a few rides, I guess." Tsuna recalled the time he had at Mafia Land before; it had been one day there. And with the mess with the Calcasso family, with Skull, it had eaten up most vacation time. Tsuna dumped another wad of stuff into his case.

"Dame-Tsuna!" Reborn kicked Tsuna in the head. "Re-pack your stuff! A good boss should at least be neat."

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"Good morning, Juudaime! Aren't you excited about the trip today?!" beamed Gokudera, the second he burst through the Sawada household door. Nana turned.

"Ahh, Gokudera-kun, you're going to that field trip too?" she smiled. "At least Tsu-kun isn't going himself." Gokudera thundered up the stairs to Tsuna's room and entered. He had walked into a perfect and inescapable hell. Or, at least, it seemed like it.

"A-Ahhh, Gokudera-kun, heheheh…" Tsuna chuckled nervously. "I-I really wouldn't advise coming any closer…" It was lock-down today. Timed bombs were wired everywhere; and they were all connected around Tsuna. One attempt at taking it apart – _BOOM_. Tsuna chuckled nervously again.

"Reborn wanted me to pack my bags neatly first…" he laughed in embarrassment.

"Ahh- I'll help!!" beamed Gokudera, too dense to realize how delicate the wires really were.

Nana looked up curiously, thinking she just felt an earthquake whose epicenter was above her.

There was a dull thump that escaped the room to the outside world. Chrome blinked, bewildered. Kaia had just arrived; she jumped.

"What was that?"

"I think they're preparing…" Chrome frowned, unsure. Kaia glanced at Chrome.

"They know that we leave today, right?" she grinned to herself. "I hope the place we're going to is a fun place~!"

"Hey, Chrome, Kaia!" Both girls turned; it was Yamamoto. He had his luggage with him, which amounted to nearly nothing compared to the girls'.

"Hi, Yamamoto," smiled Kaia. "Where are we going?"

"A resort, I hear," beamed Yamamoto. "For some competition, I think." He shrugged. "I like competitions."

"**EXTREME!!**" boomed a voice.

"Hey, Ryohei!" grinned Yamamoto, without thinking. Kaia nodded her salutations, and Chrome sent a smile of acknowledgement.

"I'm **extremely** powered up for the ride!!" shouted Ryohei, punching the air above him with vigor.

"Why…exactly are we gathering in front of Tsuna's house?" asked Kaia.

"Gokudera's here already, and the people picking us up will be here," answered Reborn, appearing on the division wall in the front yard. Both Tsuna and Gokudera lugged their luggage, both seemed to have changed clothes very rapidly and recently. "Lambo will not be coming with us, as he is too young to restrain himself. He'll embarrass us all." Kaia grinned.

"So, when are the people coming to get us?" she asked.

"Tonight," answered Reborn. Kaia raised an eyebrow. Tsuna's face fell.

"Reborn, tonight?! You could have told me that earlier!"

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Kaia just decided to dump her stuff at Tsuna's house and go off wandering by herself. Chrome insisted to follow along, since following around boys would be very dull. They talked and talked, like girls would talk. Like girls would talk and gossip and be normal girls. They walked past numerous districts, past stores, past houses, past train stations and police stations and gas stations. Yet, they never tired of walking.

"What do you think will be at the place we're going to go to?" grinned Kaia.

"I don't know, but I'm thinking it's someplace fun," shrugged Chrome. "I hope it's an amusement park, like the one in Kokyou."

"I know! That one was so awesome; it's just that it isn't really run anymore. I heard it became a plain old dump," frowned Kaia. "But I don't think so. Nothing ever really dies out." Chrome laughed in agreement.

"OH! I know! Maybe if there's cotton candy, let's stick our hands in the machine and lick it off our arms!!" laughed Kaia. Chrome giggled.

"I really want to do that, too!"

"Let's do it together then, Chrome," beamed Kaia. "What do you want to do there, too? I'll join in~!"

"Uhh," Chrome thought a little bit, then began to panic. She had never been asked what she would like to do; usually she had to follow someone's orders. "I-I-I'll…"

"No ideas?" Kaia raised an eyebrow in good humor. "Then I'll teach you how to get an idea! And a good one at that! How about that, Chrome?"

"S-Sure…" Chrome smiled gratefully at Kaia.

They kept on walking on in silence.

Suddenly, the scenery around Kaia disappeared into smoke. Pink smoke.

For some reason, it was all familiar, as if it had happened once before.

Nevertheless, a new scenery began to take shape.

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Yes, Kaia is coming. And yes, she is in the Future Arc as well.

And sorry, Soto will not be in the Future Arc.

That is it for today's updates, and I hope you enjoyed reading them! Tomorrow will have two updates, and I will return to the original a scene a day updates, until the 100-scene anniversary. :]

Thanks, everyone, for reading! And please review now, if you have not reviewed!

Have an awesome summer [break] everyone! xDD


	91. Encounter

Welcome back to today's update! I'm so sorry that I updated so late – my parents didn't want me on the computer since they wanted me to do other things. Anyway, at least I got around to it right now, and here's the update for today! :]

For AkaMizu-Chan's reviews, I thank her for all the praise she included in her five reviews yesterday.

And from glomp-meister, a few questions. Changing personality? And why does Kaia agree to go to Mafia Land with the Vongola?

Here's a quote from the review reply. Sorry, glomp-meister, it sometimes gets tiring to re-type everything I said.

"And how Kaia changes personality? She's mentally unstable, if that's how you say it, like unsure of what to do. But at the same time, she doesn't care anymore. So she shrugs and it doesn't matter to her what she does anyway…"

My dear god, those questions were nagging you in the head for three hours? I feel for you. Poor brain. Hope it isn't fried. Also, thanks for worrying about my brain. And it hasn't fried, in case anyone else is wondering.

Not only did glomp-meister review, glomp-meister included a vote! Well then, here is the updated scoreboard:

**Mukuro/Kaia: 8** [and 5 re-votes from Shin] [one of the votes are from Shoko-Chan, and she re-votes twice]

**Gokudera/Kaia: 6** [and 1 1/2 re-votes from Shin] [another re-vote from Crazee4anime] [a re-vote from little-L.A.M.]

**Belphegor/Kaia: 5 **[a re-vote from The Great Pineapple MEKI] [a re-vote from RemStrike78] [and a re-vote from AkaMizu-Chan]

**Hibari/Kaia: 4 **[a re-vote from that~one]

Yamamoto/Chrome: 2 [and 2 re-votes from Shin] [and a re-vote from Banyou]

Hibari/Haruka: 2 [and another re-vote from Shin]

Mukuro/Kaia with a Hibari twist: 1 [and 3 re-votes from Shoko-Chan]

Belphegor/Kaia with a Mukuro twist: 1

**Soto/Kaia: 1**

Byakuran/Kaia: 1

Xanxus/Kaia: 1

Also, it has crossed my mind for another poll on the story! Any future battles? I've already got one – a battle between the King of Knives, Belphegor, and the Queen of Knives, Kaia! I don't quite remember who suggested it though, sorry, and please, whoever suggested it, please tell me. I'll start another poll here:

Bel vs. Kaia: 1

There. Now, moving on to the actual story. Today will have two updates, since the next one is much too short to stand in as a single update. You'll see next scene.

Anyway, please enjoy this update and please review at either the end of the scene or at the end of the update! Thanks!

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She couldn't see a thing. It was all black; a black so complete it seemed to morph into fear. She was lying down in some type of box. There was a low rumbling sound coming from outside, and the unmistakable brush of branches meant she was somewhere near vegetation. Summoning her courage, she lifted her hand and tried to feel around. She was laid in a bed of flowers inside this box, and she felt around the edges of the container. Fingers found an open edge, and they tried to pry it open. Kaia gritted her teeth with the effort, and moved her other hand to assist the first. She managed to pry it open, and a crack of dim light filtered through.

She was in a trunk. Kaia groaned inwardly.

But she looked around more. It was a sleek, black car, like a limousine, but shorter. There was a driver in the driver's seat – someone with authority, someone who knows what's going on, yet someone that could be an enemy. Kaia looked closer, but ducked her head as the person looked back.

Piercings in the ear. White or gray [she never really paid enough attention to a guy's hair like his to discern color, I mean if you call a teenager's hair white, won't that be insulting?] hair, shoulder length. Green eyes.

It was unmistakably Gokudera Hayato.

And yet he wasn't, in a way. This Gokudera was a lot older, a lot more mature, calm, controlled, not rash. Kaia looked outside the window; it was all forest. She didn't know where this was, but judging how Gokudera was actually wearing a suit, she had a feeling that this place wasn't just any other forest.

The car drove into a crowd of trees, and the engine slowed to a stop. The driver's seat door opened, the older Gokudera Hayato got out and looked around, slightly comforted at the sight of complete silence. He neatened his suit up, looked back, then set off into the forest. Kaia was bewildered.

_Wear a designer suit and go hiking in the middle of forest nowhere?! This is insane!_

Nevertheless, she saw this chance to escape. She climbed out of the box awkwardly, then kicked open the trunk door. Gokudera probably didn't care at all for this wonderful, expensive car, since he didn't even bother to lock it. But Kaia shrugged that away as well; she could escape now, and probably find some answers somewhere.

She didn't know where to turn; Gokudera might immediately do something bad to her, like reflex action or something. He seems to be some important person who knows how to kill or something like that, and Kaia wouldn't dare cross paths with someone like that.

Kaia was free to disappear into the forest now. And she did. She ran far, far away, as swiftly and silently as she could. She began to tire and stopped. Her breaths were heavy and deep. She looked around. She didn't know where she was now, and was stuck in the middle of nowhere. She assumed she ran for about ten minutes.

_I'm so stupid… I should have at least gotten some attention. Now, I'm going to be lost, and who knows when I'll find my way out?_

There was the screech of machinery. Artificial breaths of a machine grew closer and farther, farther and closer. The high-pitched shrieks when the cameras zoomed in on objects. These gigantic, moving, human-like machines took Kaia by surprise. She was truly scared; she was trembling all over now.

One of them stopped. A white one. The head, or the part that Kaia related to the head, turned. The cameras focused and refocused on Kaia's still but trembling form.

A structure that looked like a hand now pointed its fingers at Kaia. They were hollow, and Kaia tried to not think about why they were hollow.

Faint, computer voices rang inside the machine. Kaia numbly tried to keep herself from moving.

The hollow fingers began to light up green, and an eruption of green lasers burst from the fingers.

The smell of burnt wood drifted into the air.

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Muahahahaa~~ It's a cliffie – again! :]

Keep reading and find out what happens next!

Oh, and if the next scene hasn't appeared to be posted yet, please feel free to hang around or review while you wait for it to come up. It won't take long. :]


	92. Attacio di Squalo

I told you this scene was so extremely short. It borderlines the limit of 400 words in a scene.

I repeat, this scene is insanely short. That's why I double-scene-updated today.

Anyway, keep reading and find out what happens. I shouldn't stop you from keep on going on reading. Go, go, go!! Read! It's good for you!

-Please, enjoy. Don't make it as if I'm forcing you…-

:]

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"Attacio di Squalo!" huffed a familiar, but changed voice. The machine stopped, as if it froze in time. "Are you okay?!" A silhouette kneeled down, eyebrows scrunched together. But once Yamamoto recognized the person, he unconsciously stepped a step backwards in shock. "K-Kaia?! Kaia, are you okay?!" The situation was urgent now; damage from a Strau Mosca to a normal person was typically lethal without some type of adequate protection. He stepped back to try and inspect the damage.

"Who-" Kaia's voice broke. "Who…are…you…?" She was barely even whispering now. Yamamoto noted the bandages; he immediately calculated the time frame she had come from: a few weeks after the Ring Battle.

"Yamamoto Takeshi. Now, Kaia, don't say anything right now. Any questions, please hold until later," Yamamoto tried to calm the distressed Kaia. "Does it hurt anywhere?" Kaia's teeth were gritted, trying to suppress the pain, and she knew she was visibly bleeding.

"W-What happened…?" Kaia shut her eyes and winced. Yamamoto was touching upon wounds on her shoulders, arms, and back. The swordsman frowned to himself. There were multiple bullet wounds, as well as burns and laser punctures in the skin, but he had just found one critical one. His eyes widened in surprise, and he stood up urgently.

"I'll explain later. I need to get you help," Yamamoto looked around, then back down to Kaia. "Do you mind if I carry you?" Yamamoto knew the base wasn't far off, but if he didn't hurry, it would be too far and too risky if Yamamoto would at least do something about it. If he did something to the wounds, they would probably be infected in ten seconds. If he didn't, Kaia would probably bleed to death. "Hurry. The faster we get to help, the faster you would recover."

Kaia nodded weakly. Yamamoto kneeled and picked Kaia up bridal-style. Any other way, the wound would have to be touched upon, the bullet pushed farther inside, and further damage would be dealt.

"You okay with this? Okay, I'll take that as a yes," mumbled Yamamoto. He walked some ways, released his sparrow, and set off to return to Vongola base. Not only was Reborn in the intensive care from the Trinisette, but Kaia would have to join him for a few days to recover from her first encounter with a Mosca.

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Sigh. Poor girl. You shouldn't have to have an explanation why the Strau Mosca shot her. She was a living being, a human. Moscas are trained to eliminate such humans, especially one with a visible flame reading. Remember Ria's flame? Apparently The Mosca caught that.

Anyway, I'll update tomorrow! See you around next time~!

Have an awesome summer [break] everyone! And please review now! :]


	93. LAMENT

Sorry for such a late update, but it still counts as today in Pacific Standard Time. xD

To clarify AkaMizu-Chan's little review, Kaia was in a box in the trunk of a car that the older Gokudera was driving. Ahh~ casket? Like the one Tsuna was in… Interesting. We'll know more about it later, I think. :]

And probably this update is better if it's longer, and it is quite a bit longer. xD

ChinaDang, starting from the 100-scene anniversary, the updates will be quite a bit longer. And if they're not long enough, I'd probably lengthen them again as well. ;]

Thanks for your praise, AkaMizu-Chan and ChinaDang.

Ahh, I get it, glomp-meister. The happy-go-lucky type? Well, welcome to the club. Apparently I am as well, according to my friends. xD

Note that I always add smileys at least once in a head/foot note. O.o

Thanks for your praise as well, glomp-meister. x]

Also, ChinaDang, please clarify your vote last-last update, if you want it to count. If you don't want it to count, and you want me to stop reminding you, please tell me in some way. Thanks! :]

Now, getting on to the update. This update is quite a bit longer than the other updates, because of the lyrics. Lyrics of what, you ask?

I've decided to add a feature song. Like a music video, if you may. Well, I found this song and later found the lyrics at lyricsty . com.

h t t p : / / w w w . l y r i c s t y . c o m / k / k o t o k o / l a m e n t . h t m l

h t t p : / / w w w . l y r i c s t y . c o m / k / k o t o k o / l a m e n t - e n g l i s h . h t m l

That's where I got the lyrics from, for credit. And the song is called Lament, by KOTOKO. From the album Hane and all the other song compilations by the I've girls, as well as the I've Sound Collection by KOTOKO.

For the song, you can find it somewhere on the internet. Youtube? Megavideo? I don't know, somewhere. *shrugs*

Song: Lament

Artist/Vocalist: KOTOKO

Lyrics: KOTOKO

Composition/Arrangement: Kazuya Takase

The reason I like KOTOKO so much is because of her lyrics. And her trusty composer. Both are pretty awesome, and I have to admit "Lament" wasn't KOTOKO's best work. If you want to find out more, do research, find more songs, whatever. I just used the song to enhance the story. Make it more of a movie, or a visual, or something. xD

Make it more exciting, I guess?

I heard she released a new single. Congratulations for her.

Well, this isn't the last time you've seen KOTOKO. Her music will be back after the Future Arc as well. Any suggestions for a feature song, please get to me through review or PM. Whatever language, it doesn't matter. Even something without a singer, or even words. Trance, techno, classical, anything! You can just suggest it, and I'll think about it, see if it can conform to the story. It'll be fun, trust me.

You can even ask me who would sing it. In the story, of course. I'll just add a little karaoke mini-episode to the story. Fun for everyone, you know.

Anyway, please enjoy, and review at the end. You can probably or certainly see how the lyrics match Kaia's inner thoughts.

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_What is this place? Is this the school hospital, is it the Namimori hospital, is this-_

Kaia's eye's suddenly widened in shock. She sat up in surprise, her oxygen mask ripped off her face, needles and a few life-support wires broken. The blanket folded over, and Kaia got a good look at what happened to herself. Not only did she have her first and still present hit in the head's mark, the mysterious injuries she had one day after school, but she also had bandages covering her body. It was like the replacement of bandages she had no need for anymore. The wounds that had been there were healed.

She immediately took a deep breath of air, but she began to choke and cough.

"A-Ahh, Kaia, don't!" The older Yamamoto rushed in, brows knotted together. Kaia wasn't used to Yamamoto like that; it was like as if he doesn't ever smile anymore… Yamamoto gingerly laid Kaia back down, carefully put back the needles and life-support wires, and put the oxygen mask back on. "You need to rest, okay? I don't think I should tell you much until you recover a little more. You're a little fragile at this stage, but when things even out, I think it'll be time you could handle learning a bit about the situation."

[Woah, hold your horses here! If you have the song with you, on a video or MP3, please, **CUE THE MUSIC RIGHT NOW** before proceeding. Twenty seconds of music would play before KOTOKO comes in to sing, and until then, you have enough to read for twenty seconds.]

"S-Smile…please…" Kaia breathed. She cracked a hopeful smile. It wasn't much, but it seemed to cheer up Yamamoto quite a lot. With a parting smile, Yamamoto closed the door and left. He seemed to be busy. Kaia sighed, half-lidded eyes welling up with tears.

_What kind of place is this?! What kind of a place is this, where Gokudera is actually calm and composed, as if torturing himself in silence, hating himself, and Yamamoto actually doesn't even smile anymore, like- like a burnt out candle or a deflated balloon?!_

She closed her eyes, tears flowing down and being soaked up by the pillow.

Oh, how she wished to be whisked back from this nightmare, back to reality, where everything was the way it was.

When her mother would always be around, supporting Kaia, and everyone would be laughing and light-hearted.

_**Lament…Lament… Lament, lament…**_

Soto, even would be laughing. With Jasmine, and her father…

_**Lament…**_

And she, at the center, jumping and prancing about.

また消える渡り鳥の声  
Mata kieru wataridori no koe  
**The voice of the migrating bird fades again**

They all disappeared, faded out like a fading picture. Like the ending to a happy ending of a movie.

幼い日を甦らす一欠片  
Osanai hi wo yomigaerasu hitokake  
**The single fragment that revives the days of childhood**

Kaia wished for the old days to come back, but a single, solitary flame burned into her inner sight.

そうさ  
Sou sa  
**It's true**

きっとこの世はほんの一瞬  
Kitto kono yo wa hon no isshun  
**Surely, this world is merely a moment**

She knew in her heart that she wouldn't have enough time to live to return to that. That happy ending.

どうせ一人　最期の日も  
Douse hitori Saigo no hi mo  
**In any case, we are alone, even in our last days**

She was always alone; everyone put themselves first, and now they hardly even looked in her direction.

足下伸びる影に　そっと投げかけた言葉  
Ashimoto nobiru kage ni Sotto nagekaketa kotoba  
**Words cast themselves softly over the shadow that spreads underfoot**

They had abandoned her, dumped her in this mess. It was Kaia sitting in the dark little corner, shielded from anything dangerous. Yet, the adults hadn't noticed that it was by darkness that evil will come. They hadn't noticed a thing.

本当の終わりを今は探せないこと分かってた  
Hontou no owari wo ima wa sagasenai koto wakatteta  
**I realized that the real end is now something I can't find**

The real end, the happy ending, it was gone for Kaia. Bitter tears began to feel cold on the pillow, as Kaia forcefully kept her eyes closed.

駆け抜ける空は…  
Kakenukeru sora wa...**  
The sky that sweeps over me is a…**

lament  
lament  
**lament.**

Kaia rolled over to the other half of the pillow, her thoughts torturing her and eating her alive. Her breaths were loud and heavy. Her sky was muddled with gloom. Rain wasn't her view of gloom; rather, rain was a cheerful aspect of life. To her, gloom was dark, heavy clouds, capable of doing anything to the innocent lives waiting anxiously down below. An obliterating hurricane? A devastating tornado? Ripping winds that tear roofs apart?

目を閉じた  
Me wo tojita  
**I closed my eyes**

Her tears still flowed through her eyelids, soaking the pillow.

光を失った  
Hikari wo ushinatta  
**I lost the light**

Still, she sat in the dark, sheltered corner, quaking in fear.

耳塞ぐ　遠くなる歌声  
Mimi fusagu Tooku naru utagoe  
**I pay no heed to the now-distant singing**

She no longer could hear the heavenly song of the angels.

そうさ  
Sou sa  
**It's true**

きっとこの世は雑音だらけ  
Kitto kono yo wa zatsuon darake  
**This world is a cacophony**

Now, her world is a world of devils, a mess of noise and chaos. Was this really where she belonged?

どうか一人　時間に溶けて  
Douka hitori Jikan ni tokete  
**Somehow, alone, I will melt into time**

She will disappear without anybody's notice. She will die without anyone shedding a single tear in her sake. Her funeral will be empty. Not even a priest would bless her trip to heaven – for she had no heaven.

足下照らす影は　朝日を背に燃えている  
Ashimoto terasu kage wa Asahi wo se ni moete iru  
**The shadow that shines underfoot burns the morning sun into my back**

But suddenly, she had a hope. Will the light come back to her? Will they come?

孤独な夢に心焼け付いて立ちすくんだだけ  
Kodoku na yume ni kokoro yaketsuite tachisukunda dake  
**My heart was just scorched and frozen in place by lonely dreams**

The thought was stamped out like a bug. It was not possible. What would she do, now that there isn't anyone supporting her road of life?

That solitary little flame began to fade out, too, like the ending to a happy ending of a movie. Kaia tried to call out to it, to stop it from leaving, but her throat was dry, her mouth did not function.

歩き出す道は…  
Arukidasu michi wa...  
**The path I begin to tread is a…**

lament  
lament  
**lament.**

Kaia knew it in her heart. She was never meant to live. She was never meant to grace the clouds of heaven. She was never meant to exist.

そうさ  
Sou sa  
**It's true**

きっとこの世はほんの一瞬  
Kitto kono yo wa hon no isshun  
**Surely, this world is merely a moment**

She sighed. She gave up. She doesn't want to go on living a pointless life. Even if it would last a mere second more, Kaia had given it up, completely.

どうせ一人　最期の日も  
Douse hitori Saigo no hi mo  
**In any case, we are alone, even in our last days**

Alone was scary to Kaia. There was no warmth to seek shelter with. There was no comfort. There had never been any proper parents in her life; she knew that it was the reason she sought someone to comfort her that badly.

足下伸びる影に　そっと投げかけた言葉  
Ashimoto nobiru kage ni sotto nagekaketa kotoba  
**Words cast themselves softly over the shadow that spreads underfoot**

Suddenly, she was young again. She was a child again, hiding in the corner as told to, shivering and quaking with fear and anxiety. _Will mama and papa be okay? What is going on?_

本当の終わりを今は探せないこと分かってた  
Hontou no owari wo ima wa sagasenai koto wakatteta  
**I realized that the real end is now something I can't find**

She remembered the day her father had so suddenly exited his part in her life.

It was in the hospital. Nurses were everywhere, calling out orders and instructions. Doctors scrambled here and there, panicking. And then, the long, even sound of the machine.

_Bee-ee-ee-eep…_

The faces of the entire staff fell. Her mother sat down, face blank in shock. Then, Kaia didn't know what happened, and her mother hadn't told her anything. This was what Kaia remembered, remembered so vividly.

足下照らす影は　朝日を背に燃えている  
Ashimoto terasu kage wa Asahi wo se ni moete iru  
**The shadow that shines underfoot burns the morning sun into my back**

Now, she was angry at the absence of her father. He was the reason her mother had to leave to Japan. Kaia was only five, then. Five years old, like Lambo.

The silhouettes of the people of Kaia's past…they had all left their mark on her, like a collection of scars. The pain, the heat, the unbearable fear of what happens next.

It was all like poison. Poison that Kaia takes every day, leading up to her death day.

孤独な夢に心焼け付いて立ちすくんだだけ  
Kodoku na yume ni kokoro yaketsuite tachisukunda dake  
**My heart was just scorched and frozen in place by lonely dreams**

Kaia yearned for the flame to come back, but the mysterious flame did not. She felt abandoned, like she had been abandoned by her father, her mother, her family.

歩き出す道は…  
Arukidasu michi wa...  
**The path I begin to tread is a...**

lament  
lament  
**lament.**

It was a pure nightmare, this place, this world. She prayed with all her heart that it would end.

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Well, after the lyrics are finished, there's about one minute of music. And I think I should talk until the music finishes playing. Should I? Or should I leave some time for you to review with the music still playing? Oh well, anyway, I bet you've seen how the lyrics match up to the story. And some of it sort of coming from the song. I bet you know what part that was. xD

Anyway, right now, please review, and in it, include your vote, any complaints about scene length [a section would have 800-2800 words], feature song suggestions [remember, any language at all, but for those with lyrics, must have lyrics that I can find over the internet], whatever you have to say. Well, can't talk too long. Soon, it'll be midnight.

I need to get to bed. I mean, everyone needs to get to bed to sleep, right?

And fine, no use covering it anyway. I live in the Pacific Standard Time [PST] Zone. :]

Thanks for reading, everyone!

Have an awesome summer [break] everyone! [And AkaMizu-Chan, have fun camping~! xD]


	94. The 2nd to 5th Cases of TimeTravel

I'm back! :]

I hope you liked that feature song…it was a lot better for me, personally.

Ah, ChinaDang, you like the length? Well that'll be the length of the updates after the 100-scene anniversary. ^^

…which would be right at the end of the month, actually. O.o

Interesting.

And of course, Kaia was really emo last scene. D:

Did she die? Well, it could be anything, actually. I'd be sad if she died… And she woke up in a box of flowers, yes, true. The flowers are sort of creepy at first, when I was reading the manga. I mean, the flowers must have a meaning, too, right? Like what if the Millifore snuck in a flower with an omen on it?

That'd be creepy.

Ahh, ChinaDang also clarified the vote(s), so here is the updated scoreboard!

**Mukuro/Kaia: 9** [and 5 re-votes from Shin] [one of the votes are from Shoko-Chan, and she re-votes twice]

**Gokudera/Kaia: 7** [and 1 1/2 re-votes from Shin] [another re-vote from Crazee4anime] [a re-vote from little-L.A.M.]

**Belphegor/Kaia: 6 **[a re-vote from The Great Pineapple MEKI] [a re-vote from RemStrike78] [and a re-vote from AkaMizu-Chan]

**Hibari/Kaia: 5 **[a re-vote from that~one]

Yamamoto/Chrome: 2 [and 2 re-votes from Shin] [and a re-vote from Banyou]

Hibari/Haruka: 2 [and another re-vote from Shin]

Mukuro/Kaia with a Hibari twist: 1 [and 3 re-votes from Shoko-Chan]

Belphegor/Kaia with a Mukuro twist: 1

**Soto/Kaia: 1**

**Byakuran/Kaia: 1**

Xanxus/Kaia: 1

Woah…a total of… [goes back and counts] 57½ votes! A lot…I'm so amazed!

Ahh, and if this update is short, sorry! But remember, after the 100-scene anniversary, I'll be updating once every two days. Which is slower [doi], but with more text.

The VS. voting poll hasn't been voted for, so vote for that one, too! Add some spice to the story… xD

So, after reading, please review, and include votes, suggestions for feature songs, complaints about length, whatever you have to say! Drift off topic if you want! It just makes me happy to see a reviewer! :]

Happy Reading~!!

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Reborn was hanging out in front of the Sawada residence, watching over the luggage. Nothing really happened much, but he was deep in thought of what was happening. It was still morning; the kids just split up to kill time before Dino comes to pick them up.

He suddenly sensed a presence just out of sight around the bend. But before he could react, a cry erupted out of the Sawada house, and from the window flew a strangely colored bazooka. Reborn had immediately calculated it would hit him, so he was about to jump, but something prevented him from doing so.

Reborn was perplexed. He was stopped by something. His legs would not move. Leon seemed to be seeing stars for some reason now, and he was unable to transform into anything to block the flying bazooka.

"Ah- REBORN!!"

There was a burst of pink smoke, and Reborn, Leon, and the luggage all disappeared.

Nana was just making lunch; she stopped stirring the soup and looked outside in curiosity. She sniffed. There was a weird, unusual smell in the air – it wasn't of the food, it was definitely something else. She shrugged and continued to make her soup calmly, humming happily to herself.

But her face displayed something else.

"Ah- REBORN!!" called Tsuna, panting around the corner. He had seen the bazooka in the air. He had seen it hit Reborn. He had seen it explode into pink smoke. He had seen no Reborn, no luggage when the smoke cleared. He came screeching to a halt, confused that there was no Reborn, and no luggage when the pink smoke dispersed.

"Juudaime!!" panted Gokudera, as he ran up proudly holding up a plastic bag. "I got my yam! You want to share?" Tsuna was unresponsive, as he was still gaping at where Reborn had been. Gokudera raised an eyebrow in question, looked to where Tsuna was looking, then back to Tsuna. "J-Juudaime?"

"Reborn isn't there…" mumbled Tsuna, eyes wide. He looked to Gokudera. "He isn't there!" It was then that Gokudera figured out what happened. Well, sort of.

"What…do you mean…Reborn-san isn't here, Juudaime?" Gokudera breathed, sensing something terribly wrong.

"The ten-year bazooka… it hit Reborn, and there's no ten-years-later Reborn!!" blinked Tsuna. He turned, heading for the front door to his house. "L-Lambo!" Gokudera turned as well.

"Juudaime!" Gokudera broke into a run after Tsuna. Tsuna was already past the staircase, and Gokudera was half-way up.

"Lambo, you-"

"GAHH!! Dame-Tsuna!! Go-Go-Go away!"

There was a poof of pink smoke, and Lambo broke down crying. Lambo was still here, but what about Tsuna?

"J-Juudaime!!" called Gokudera. "Juudaime!" He came around the bend. There was no Tsuna either. Gokudera turned angrily to Lambo. "Stupid cow, you-" Gokudera lunged for the bawling baby. Lambo evaded the Storm Guardian's attempts to catch him, and ran into Tsuna's room.

"No-No-No-No, Tako-head!!" cried Lambo, tears pouring out of his eyes like hoses. "GAHHHHH!!" He ran back out. Gokudera blindly followed the kid out, and tripped.

The bazooka came flying in the air…

And it landed on Gokudera…

_POOF._

Gokudera was gone.

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This is sort of going back in time to see what happened to Reborn, Tsuna, and Gokudera. But also remember that Tsuna and Gokudera came to the base a day later than Reborn since they stayed the night in the woods with Lal Mirch. *laughs*

Well, now it's time to review. And vote, suggest, complain, rant, whatever. IN the review. Or in the PM if you decide to PM me about it instead.

Thanks for reading!

Have an awesome summer [break] everyone! xD


	95. Stressed

No reviews yet…

Oh well, read up, and please review! :]

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"Ehh?" Dino raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Nobody's here…" He looked around; two long, sleek black cars sat on the road, and a few of Dino's subordinates stood with him. "I swear I told Reborn when I'm going to pick them all up…" He scratched his head. He flipped out his cellphone and dialed a number. The other end of the line began to ring, and someone picked up.

"Dino? What is it?"

"Y-Yeah, there's one…_small_…problem…"

"What do you mean, _small_ problem? It's a gigantic problem, whatever it is! We're all packed up and ready to leave tomorrow. If things don't go the way it's planned-"

"Allegra, if it's still because you're distressed about your daughter's death-"

"Shut up! Tell me what it is!"

"Kaia's still alive."

The line fell silent.

"…w-what?"

"Soto and Jasmine had to leave before it was confirmed. She recovered consciousness a few days ago, maybe a week, I believe. But…" Dino sighed.

"What is it?" Allegra's throat constricted itself on itself, afraid of what Dino was going to say next.

"I don't know how it happened, but Kaia had seen everything of the Sky Battle."

"Is she still conscious right now? Can I talk to her? And is she alright? What happened?!"

"Calm down, calm down. I know it's stressful, but I'm guessing Kaia is perfectly conscious right now. Reborn called me with an update about her current status, in case you ever call me."

"Why wouldn't you call me right then and there?"

"There's something else… In the Sky Battle, she had defeated Xanxus-"

"_WHAT?!_"

"Okay, I-I'll just tell you everything later. I have to cut to the main problem here, and it doesn't seem to be something that'll be resolved very soon…"

"…what do you mean, Dino?" Dino could see Allegra narrow her eyes.

"Reborn doesn't seem to be anywhere, and neither does anyone else seem to be here. Does your doll know?"

"She tells me of smelling a particular smell – can you smell it?"

"Hmm…y-yeah, I do. What is it, and what does it have to do with…our little problem?"

"The Ten-Year Bazooka smoke's odor, that's the smell. It's broken, and it seems to have hit…some of them."

"What?! Why couldn't you have told me earlier?!"

"I was busy, dope-head! Don't you think I have enough to worry about already?!"

"Do you know who was hit?"

"No, but who was supposed to be there?"

"Tsuna and his Guardians, of course, and Reborn. Nobody is here."

"Then who would you expect to be there? Obviously, people like Hibari Kyouya and Rokudo Mukuro wouldn't be there."

"Reborn would definitely be here, as well as Tsuna, Gokudera, Yamamoto. Chrome is probable. I'll need to do some checking around for everyone. I think Kaia was supposed to be here as well, and she's one that wouldn't break rules like this, especially with Reborn around, as well as the others. I'll get you an update later. For now, don't tell anyone about this. Tell the Ninth, though, about this, and the meeting at Mafia Land must be re-scheduled. It's best if I wait for attendance at school; nobody would dare skip class with Kyouya around."

Dino flipped the cell phone off and got into the cars. The expensive vehicles sped off to their first destination – Yamamoto's sushi shop.

Why Yamamoto's sushi shop? Well, the sweet scent of food isn't something one would resist, especially if one skipped dinner in the midst of rushing over to Japan.

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Poor Dino. Skipped dinner. Must be really hungry. xD

Anyway, please review! Another scene will be coming tomorrow!

Have an awesome summer [break] everyone!!


	96. Meeting in the Future

No reviews…again. Eh. Saddens me a bit, but I know you guys are still reading! :]

We're back to Kaia this time…so read up! And please review! xD

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She thought she must be dreaming. She _must_ be dreaming. There was no other way to explain them.

After a while, without even leaving the bed she was trapped on, she discovered that she was many floors below the ground. Yes, _floors_. It was an underground facility of some sort; a very high-tech facility to live in, like a sort of hotel-slash-military camp. She was many floors below ground level, and she could tell that those were coming from ground level, or somewhere there.

They were voices, talking voices. She recognized the older, deeper, more mature voice of the Yamamoto that existed in this place. But, there were two others. The others being younger, more familiar, like the ones from the real world, or where she was before.

The words were indiscernible. There were three voices, each picking up after another stopped speaking. There was Yamamoto's adult voice; then closely followed by two younger, teenage voices. She knew she must be dreaming.

Gokudera. Younger, teenage Gokudera, the one that lived next-door, the one that used to be so rude.

Tsuna. The Tsuna she knew, the Tsuna that was in her class, the Tsuna that Gokudera followed.

They were here.

_How could they have gotten here?! This isn't possible, isn't it? The Yamamoto here seems to know them, as if they've been here before… I need to see for myself._

Kaia's half-lidded eyes suddenly opened to their full extent; she removed her oxygen mask. She took a breath; she immediately breathed in and began to choke. Kaia winced, and tried to suppress the strain. She grabbed the edge of the bed and pressed herself down into the mattress. Kaia closed her eyes.

She was losing energy. Her breaths slowed. She knew she wouldn't be stable for long, but she didn't want to put that oxygen mask on. It disgraced everyone, having her have an oxygen mask. She was better than that. Kaia turned to her side and inched to the edge of the bed. The closer she came, the nearer she came…

Her hand brushed the floor, but she lost balance over the edge. She fell over with a _thump_.

Kaia winced at the pain, but she gradually picked herself up. Needles popped out, and wires from the life-support came out. She didn't need life-support. Yamamoto was being naïve, just the way he is. It's a precaution, is all.

Her panting gradually ceased to be audible. Her breathing leveled, and she calmed down. She smiled to herself. She didn't need life-support. The air around her seemed to move for a brief moment, but Kaia suddenly felt a jolt of cold. She grabbed the blanket on the bed and wrapped it around herself. The air-conditioning in here was a chiller.

She walked to the door, stuck a hand out to open it, and exited.

"Na-Namimori-chuu?!" burst both Tsuna and Gokudera. Kaia could hear their shouts even from here.

"You're telling me this is Namimori?!"

"We're in Japan?!"

"That's right…" answered Reborn. He continued, but Kaia didn't catch much of anything else. The talking voices came closer and closer – Kaia came to an elevator-like contraption that was labeled "Elevator." The doors slid open, and Kaia entered, pressing the number one on the wall of the elevator. With a lurch, the elevator began to move at an extremely fast rate. The voices came closer and louder than ever.

"…all over the world. Of course, it's going on here too. The Vongola Hunt has made it this far." It was Yamamoto talking. Kaia frowned; it was that mysterious Vongola again. So even Yamamoto knows of it. There was a pause in the talking. The elevator doors slid open, and Kaia marched on. The room they were talking in wasn't far.

"V-Vongola Hunt…?"

"You guys must have seen it. The coffin with the Vongola Crest?"

"So that means I'm-" Tsuna began. Kaia was right around the bend.

"You bastard!!" roared Gokudera.

Kaia walked right in. Her legs suddenly were very weak; she was trembling now. She had just seen Gokudera sock Yamamoto in the face. Blood had splattered on the ground. The entire room was deathly silent. Gokudera turned; Yamamoto just looked on. Tsuna stared, wide-eyed, as if he wished Kaia wasn't there, and that Kaia truly wasn't there. Reborn acknowledged Kaia's presence with a frown.

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Tense. Poor Kaia, seeing Tsuna and Gokudera for the first time since coming to the future, and she sees Gokudera in such a violent state. Definitely ruined any good impression that Kaia would have had on Gokudera, if she had any. I'm not that sure if she had one, though, not at this point.

Anyway, please review, vote, comment, complain, suggest, whatever! :]

'Til tomorrow, everyone!


	97. Confusion

Hey, everyone! I'm back…and with the next update! :]

…wow, I really should start the section splitting.

Anyway, read up! And please review!! xD

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"You shouldn't be up and about yet, Kaia," Yamamoto said sadly. "It's better if you let it heal for a little more." Kaia's eyes were full of tears, and she looked as if she had something to say. In fact, she had much more than something to say.

"Why-" Kaia looked away, biting her lip bitterly. She faced them again once she regained her composure, but her anger and shock hadn't died out. Her eyes were raging. "Why did you…do that?" She suppressed her anger; that was to come later, she felt. Underneath anger, was fear. She was now trembling a lot more visibly now.

"Wh-Why are you bleeding…Y-Yamamoto…? G-Gokudera-san… why…? Why- Why are you all here?" she mumbled, looking from face to face fearfully, eyes wide and disbelieving. "Why?" She wrapped her blanket around her tightly. The anger boiled directly under the surface. She tried to control it; she clenched her teeth and looked on.

Tsuna turned on Reborn again.

"Why is she here?!" demanded Tsuna, wide-eyed and fearful. Gokudera scowled at Yamamoto.

"I don't know," answered Reborn.

"Stop lying!!" snarled Ria, eyes reflecting the dying flames inside of her, or, rather, Flames of Rage. "Reborn, you know enough to go around! Why can't you just tell one thing to any of us, and why can't you all at least tell me what's going on?!" She closed her eyes with a snarl in her throat, trying to suppress the anger again. When she opened her eyes, they were brown again.

"We can't," frowned Reborn. "Not only would your mother more than disapprove, your current state wouldn't be able to handle the information. It's to protect all of you."

"Then why couldn't Yamamoto," Gokudera glared forcefully at Yamamoto, "tell us how the hell Juudaime could die?!" Kaia paled. She knew what Juudaime stood for by now. She looked to Tsuna, then back to Gokudera and Yamamoto.

"Y-Yeah, Yamamoto, how could Tsuna-san be d-dead if he's r-right here?" Kaia half-laughed. She looked to everyone. "W-Where are we, exactly?" She looked to the screen projection.

"That's above ground," supplied Yamamoto.

"So we're in Namimori, it's true…" muttered Kaia. "But it's different." She shook her head. "I-Is there anyone else? Aside from us…that's normal, at least to me…?"

"Us," said Tsuna, motioning to Gokudera as well. "Just us." Kaia pursed her lips, her eyes flitting to the ground, then up to Tsuna.

"Tell me I'm dreaming," Kaia's strained voice told Tsuna. "T-Tell me that none of this happened, right now! _Tell me that I am freaking dreaming._" She clenched her teeth, forcing herself to believe something she knew was a lie. Tsuna was speechless.

"Kaia-" She breathed in and closed her eyes. She looked up again, releasing an exasperated sigh.

"Say it! Say it right now, you idiot!" growled Kaia. She bit back the urge to hurt one of them. She couldn't be violent. She must control herself.

"You-" started Gokudera, anger bubbling up like lava inside of him. "How could you insult Juudaime?!"

"How- How could your older self live, knowing the fact that Tsuna's really dead then?!" snapped Kaia. She narrowed her eyes. Tsuna was shocked beyond belief. Gokudera was taken aback.

"I-I was…" breathed Gokudera.

"How do you know the other Gokudera?" asked Reborn. Kaia looked in the Arcobaleno's direction.

"I was in…a box…in the trunk of his car. He was driving in the middle of a forest, and… he suddenly stopped and got out and didn't come back."

Yamamoto raised an eyebrow. _So he actually made it past the Veil… At least he managed to get Kaia. But to leave her in the car? Unthinkable, even if she were hiding._

"How much do you know, you flimsy, stupid girl?!" snarled Gokudera, trying to ignore the pain he dealt to himself when he said that. Kaia looked coldly at Gokudera. The confession was forgotten. She was Hibari's and only Hibari's. They were bitter enemies now.

"Much less than you do, no doubt," Kaia frowned. On a second note, she added, "I still hate you all." Her eyes were now regretful; they told a completely different story. Kaia sniffed. She was fragile now. If he'd spat back a retort, Kaia's wall would shatter, and a downpour of emotions would come into effect. Gokudera hadn't known how deep his words hurt her. Kaia looked away. "C-Curse you all."

"Yamamoto, please escort her back to her room," suggested Reborn.

"No," choked Kaia. "I have no use for life-support. I'm perfectly fine."

"No, Kaia," Reborn said firmly. "If you keep this up, you'll be tired. Get a good rest; you'll learn more in time."

"Sh-Shut up," Kaia bit her lip. She wanted to say sorry; she wasn't one to cause so much hurt to everyone. But she couldn't say sorry now.

"Kaia…" said Tsuna, pitying her. _Pitying_ her. Kaia felt like raging at him, hitting him, hurting him. She wasn't as low as to be pitied. She choked back a sob.

"Just…just shut up, all of you!" she hastily demanded, and she disappeared from the doorway, back down to the elevator. Reborn calmly strolled to the door and looked out to make sure she was not meaning to stay and eavesdrop. She was still in sight, walking away. But Reborn couldn't trust his instincts anymore, especially if Kaia knew how to use **that**. But he shrugged and shut the door. The room was soundproof. It should be safe.

Reborn locked the door tightly.

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Well, a very pleasant scene, is it? No, not really.

By the way, what's the Veil that Yamamoto's talking about? What is this thing called **that** that Reborn's been referring to?

Those questions would be answered where most of the questions will be answered in the story. Which is not now. More like when they become official Mafioso. Since both the older Yamamoto and Reborn are official Mafioso, they know that information, and Tsuna, Gokudera, and Kaia don't know it because they are not official Mafioso yet.

Anyway, please review! I'll be back tomorrow!

Have an awesome summer [break] everyone!


	98. A Dead Seventh Guardian

Anyway, I'm back! :D

Thanks for reviewing, BelphegorLUVERRR and AkaMizu-Chan! :D

BelphegorLUVERRR asked me about if I was tempting the readers, which refers to you, reading these very words. YES, YOU! :]

Tempting? If I am, well… I don't quite see it, sorry…

AkaMizu-Chan liked the feature song. Which cheered me up a lot. And would mean that a few more would be coming up. And that comes back to any suggestions for more feature songs. Doesn't matter what genre, language, pace, whatever! As long as there's a lyrics page for the song or music if there are lyrics. Does not count vocals that don't really have lyrics, like a chorus that accompany those orchestra pieces in Spiderman or something. :]

Even if you can't find a lyrics piece, I'll try and find one.

…whatever. You can suggest anything and I'll look into it. And see if it can fit into the story.

Also, AkaMizu-Chan also thinks that the story [or whatever things refers to] is going to be falling into place. Well, the story isn't quite done, even after the Future Arc. I still have to pairings to go through. :D

As well some much-needed humor to ease up after the big finale of the Future Arc.

AkaMizu-Chan is going to die waiting to find out what **that** is. Trust me. [AkaMizu-Chan, be patient! Please! *gets mauled*]

No votes, suggestions, or complaints. Praise, yes there is praise. And definitely reviews. Yes, there are reviews.

I've split up the sections coming after scene 100 already! Takes the amount of text for 62 scenes to finish off the Future Arc. That's a LOT. It's 31 scenes, which will take quite some time to get through. I'm hoping for before the start of school in September…and since we're going to be behind if I don't hurry it up, I'll multi-update! :D

And I need to hurry up with the writing…gahhhhhh~

Oh well, just go ahead and read! And please review afterwards! :]

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"Our enemies, the Millifore Family, certainly have a monstrous strength. However, what's even worse is their purpose is not only to get the rings and conquer," continued Reborn.

"When headquarters was surrounded, Millifore prepared to sit down and negotiate with a summoned spokesman for the Vongola," said Yamamoto. "But those guys didn't sit down and negotiate, and that poor guy was killed."

"_I-I'll go."_

"_No- Juudaime!"_

"_It'll be alright. They're human, too. They've got honor enough to hold fire."_

"_Tsuna-"_

"_Yamamoto, all of you, call up reinforcements in case anything goes wrong. That is, if we reach any."_

"_You can't go, Juudaime!"_

"_I'm not allowing anyone else that close to Byakuran. I might as well die."_

"_But- Juudaime-_

"_Gokudera-kun, thank you for worrying. Everyone, thanks for everything. If I die this time, my will is where you know it is in. Gokudera, Yamamoto, you know my combination. Arrivederci."_

"_Be safe, then, Juudaime!"_

"_Good luck, Tsuna!"_

"_Thanks, everyone… I'm going then…"_

_Tsuna strolled majestically down the hallway. He flung open the door and walked outside. The doors swung shut._

"_Ah. Tsuna-kun, nice to meet you."_

"_Byakuran. I thought the agreement was to hold all fire. And yet you have all your marksmen aiming their weapons at me."_

"_Shou-chan, please let everyone hold down their weapons."_

"_Hai, Byakuran-sama."_

"_Come, Tsuna-kun, let's sit down."_

"_Very well."_

"_Now, as you are perfectly aware, you are surrounded by the Millifore, Tsuna-kun. You have no way of escape. And why, you ask, would I take the time to arrange our little talk?" Byakuran smiled._

"_Why?"_

"_Well, I didn't, Tsuna-kun. It's time to say good-bye. Shou-chan?"_

"_Gomenasai, Sawada Tsunayoshi, but your time has come."_

_**BANG.**_

"After that, they ignored all our calls for a ceasefire. They're picking us off one by one… Their goal being to eliminate every single one of the Vongola," finished Yamamoto.

"So…what you're saying is…that those of us from the past are also in danger?" asked Tsuna.

"That's not all. Anyone you have a connection with will also be targeted for elimination," said Reborn.

"Then- That means-" Tsuna began to panic.

"Don't panic. We're not without hope," Reborn turned to the Rain Guardian. "Yamamoto. The Family's Guardians haven't been confirmed as dead, correct?"

"That's right," answered Yamamoto. He had gotten really good at lying lately. All was left of the signs of dishonesty was the wrinkling of his brow. Nobody seemed to notice, but he was sure that Reborn saw. Reborn saw everything, nearly everything. Anything he didn't know before, he would know later. Yamamoto remembered that fateful day; when the Vongola's Guardian had died, when the Millifore's Funeral Wreath had died. It was because of that the Millifore decided to take advantage and go overboard with revenge; like what Xanxus had intended ten years ago.

"Then there's only one thing left to do," said Reborn. "You must assemble the six scattered Guardians."

Yamamoto snorted inwardly to himself at this.

_Six? Six measly Guardians from the past, with their attributes? Are you sure that would do the trick? Nah, we're missing out on our ace again._

_Our dead ace, __**the**__ Vongola Guardian. That was the trick, every Vongola generation. But it isn't their time to know yet; Reborn has yet to tell them._

_No, the dead ace will come back, has come back, and __**is **__back. We must hope for his hard work to spring to life, and for the gears to begin turning._

_Now…just where is the Guardian now?_

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There's a lot of space to assume and guess with what Yamamoto's thinking into the text. But I'll add a spoiler.

We don't know that dead ace's name yet. And that dead ace came from the Millifore.

I'll add one more twist:

The dead ace has Vongola blood stained on his hands.

That'll keep you guys on edge, right? I got a feeling it would. Ahh, I get what you mean, BelphegorLUVERRR. I **am** tempting you guys. Tempting to read more, I think. :]

Should I update more? Nah, I'll do that tomorrow. :D

Please review!! :]

Have an awesome summer [break] everyone! xD


	99. The Hit List

Hey, everyone! I'm back!! :D

Ahh, AkaMizu-Chan, everyone wants to know who the dead ace is. God, I say to myself: "Why did you have to get killed?"

Otherwise, the future arc might be a lot easier to work out.

And of course Yamamoto has to lie. He can't just flatly say to Tsuna and Gokudera that everyone's dead. Personally, I'm quite amazed that Lambo is still alive. I mean, he's a kid and he's got assassins following him everywhere. Apparently a lot of girls, looking at how he dresses. [Button up your shirt, Lambo!!] xD

Please read and review at the end! :D

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"Soto, where are you?" mumbled Kaia, wandering the empty, drafty hallways. She wanted to unleash her anger on him; she knew well enough that he was capable of deflecting nearly any attack. Kaia sighed. She wanted to find someplace calm, someplace nice to work things out.

Like how she would paint, back in Namimori.

She came to a door; being vastly curious, she opened the door to a black void of space. She couldn't see a thing inside. Kaia fumbled for a switch, assuming there were switches. There was one; she hit it, and the enormous room flooded with light. Kaia winced a little at the sudden brightness, but recovered. It was a large, blank room, like the one she saw before, sometime that seemed eternities away. That first time she saw the pink smoke…

She shook her head, ridding her head of those thoughts. She looked around, finding everyone's luggage piled up in the corner. Kaia's expression brightened as dramatically as the room had brightened up when the light switch was thrown. She rushed to the clump of bags and began to rummage for her own. Finding her own luggage, she nearly ripped open the fabric of the bags in excitement. She fumbled with the zipper for a moment before opening the bag to see if everything was there.

Yes, everything was there. Including her bulky but tiny training deer-horn knives and aside from clothes, toothbrush and toothpaste, and others, she had brought snacks, a notebook, a mechanical pencil, eraser, and re-fill lead, a pen, scarves, hats, and gloves. Kaia smiled to herself.

Soto had forced her into a habit of always bringing along those heavy deer-horn knives; it was, in a way, weight-training. Training to be able to carry such an impossibly heavy backpack on your shoulder, training to lift heavy things in every way possible, training to lift things without being hurt, and so on. Snacks are a must, Soto said. Though Kaia had a choice of food, Soto had required at least some food to bring along. It was nice to eat on the way, anyway. The notebook, well Kaia didn't want to get bored getting to that place, so she figured it would be nice to doodle, or write random phrases or words, and stuff like that. The scarves, hats, and gloves were what Kaia loved to play around with. Not only would she actually be noticeable with them, she could hide her face with them, be a pirate with them, be a bandit, play pretend like she would have done when she was small.

Her anger suddenly flared out at her, like a fire. Kaia froze, and looked down to her bag. She looked out to the large room and remembered that other time, that other time when the pink smoke came. There was the prince, seemingly dancing about, playing with something red. But there were targets, she realized now. She hadn't seen them the first time; now in her memory, she saw. He was _training_, like how Soto would make her train for no particular reason.

Kaia gritted her teeth in anger. She didn't want to remember Soto like that, and she didn't want to remember the prince either. She didn't want them to exist. She took the notebook, pen, pencil, and eraser. She zipped her bag up again and dumped it back into the pile. With a huff, she left the room, flicking the lights off. The hallways were long and winding; she would never be found throughout the entire place. Kaia picked a spot behind a large box beside another door at the end of the hallway; it seemed to radiate heat, which kept Kaia warm. She was comfortable now, and she opened the notebook to begin writing what she knew.

_Vongola – lots of people seem to know about it. It's like common knowledge; but everyone pretends to not know. It's weird, like hide-and-seek…_

_What's the Millifore, anyway? I heard Reborn mention something about that too…_

Kaia paused, then decided to make a list.

_People who know:_

_Sawada Tsunayoshi_

_Reborn_

_Yamamoto Takeshi [alt. uni]_

_Gokudera Hayato_

_Soto_

_Jasmine Opiello_

Kaia hesitated. She thought a little more, she thought back more, thought back. She remembered, angrily scribbling down a few more names.

_Hibari Kyouya_

_Chrome Dokuro_

_Rokudo Mukuro_

She counted back each person. There were nine people on her list. _Who else?? _Kaia sighed, furrowing her brow, thinking more.

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The place that Kaia sat down at was beside the room where Lambo and I-Pin were playing around for the Takoyai machine in the anime episode 93… I think that's the generator, if I remember correctly. It's a warm enough place to be comfortable. Well, of course if it didn't overheat.

Thanks for reading! Please review now…

Have an awesome summer everyone! :D


	100. A Hurricane of Thoughts

Hey, everyone! I'm back!! :D

Ahh, AkaMizu-Chan, everyone wants to know who the dead ace is. God, I say to myself: "Why did you have to get killed?"

Otherwise, the future arc might be a lot easier to work out.

And of course Yamamoto has to lie. He can't just flatly say to Tsuna and Gokudera that everyone's dead. Personally, I'm quite amazed that Lambo is still alive. I mean, he's a kid and he's got assassins following him everywhere. Apparently a lot of girls, looking at how he dresses. [Button up your shirt, Lambo!!] xD

Please read and review at the end! :D

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"Soto, where are you?" mumbled Kaia, wandering the empty, drafty hallways. She wanted to unleash her anger on him; she knew well enough that he was capable of deflecting nearly any attack. Kaia sighed. She wanted to find someplace calm, someplace nice to work things out.

Like how she would paint, back in Namimori.

She came to a door; being vastly curious, she opened the door to a black void of space. She couldn't see a thing inside. Kaia fumbled for a switch, assuming there were switches. There was one; she hit it, and the enormous room flooded with light. Kaia winced a little at the sudden brightness, but recovered. It was a large, blank room, like the one she saw before, sometime that seemed eternities away. That first time she saw the pink smoke…

She shook her head, ridding her head of those thoughts. She looked around, finding everyone's luggage piled up in the corner. Kaia's expression brightened as dramatically as the room had brightened up when the light switch was thrown. She rushed to the clump of bags and began to rummage for her own. Finding her own luggage, she nearly ripped open the fabric of the bags in excitement. She fumbled with the zipper for a moment before opening the bag to see if everything was there.

Yes, everything was there. Including her bulky but tiny training deer-horn knives and aside from clothes, toothbrush and toothpaste, and others, she had brought snacks, a notebook, a mechanical pencil, eraser, and re-fill lead, a pen, scarves, hats, and gloves. Kaia smiled to herself.

Soto had forced her into a habit of always bringing along those heavy deer-horn knives; it was, in a way, weight-training. Training to be able to carry such an impossibly heavy backpack on your shoulder, training to lift heavy things in every way possible, training to lift things without being hurt, and so on. Snacks are a must, Soto said. Though Kaia had a choice of food, Soto had required at least some food to bring along. It was nice to eat on the way, anyway. The notebook, well Kaia didn't want to get bored getting to that place, so she figured it would be nice to doodle, or write random phrases or words, and stuff like that. The scarves, hats, and gloves were what Kaia loved to play around with. Not only would she actually be noticeable with them, she could hide her face with them, be a pirate with them, be a bandit, play pretend like she would have done when she was small.

Her anger suddenly flared out at her, like a fire. Kaia froze, and looked down to her bag. She looked out to the large room and remembered that other time, that other time when the pink smoke came. There was the prince, seemingly dancing about, playing with something red. But there were targets, she realized now. She hadn't seen them the first time; now in her memory, she saw. He was _training_, like how Soto would make her train for no particular reason.

Kaia gritted her teeth in anger. She didn't want to remember Soto like that, and she didn't want to remember the prince either. She didn't want them to exist. She took the notebook, pen, pencil, and eraser. She zipped her bag up again and dumped it back into the pile. With a huff, she left the room, flicking the lights off. The hallways were long and winding; she would never be found throughout the entire place. Kaia picked a spot behind a large box beside another door at the end of the hallway; it seemed to radiate heat, which kept Kaia warm. She was comfortable now, and she opened the notebook to begin writing what she knew.

_Vongola – lots of people seem to know about it. It's like common knowledge; but everyone pretends to not know. It's weird, like hide-and-seek…_

_What's the Millifore, anyway? I heard Reborn mention something about that too…_

Kaia paused, then decided to make a list.

_People who know:_

_Sawada Tsunayoshi_

_Reborn_

_Yamamoto Takeshi [alt. uni]_

_Gokudera Hayato_

_Soto_

_Jasmine Opiello_

Kaia hesitated. She thought a little more, she thought back more, thought back. She remembered, angrily scribbling down a few more names.

_Hibari Kyouya_

_Chrome Dokuro_

_Rokudo Mukuro_

She counted back each person. There were nine people on her list. _Who else?? _Kaia sighed, furrowing her brow, thinking more.

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The place that Kaia sat down at was beside the room where Lambo and I-Pin were playing around for the Takoyai machine in the anime episode 93… I think that's the generator, if I remember correctly. It's a warm enough place to be comfortable. Well, of course if it didn't overheat.

Thanks for reading! Please review now…

Have an awesome summer everyone! :D


	101. The 6th to 10th Cases of TimeTravel

Ahh~! I'm back! :]

Quite a few reviews...so thanks! xD

And to address a few things in the reviews for the benefit for those who can't get to the review replies.

From AkaMizu-Chan's review for Scene 99, that I haven't replied until now: "I hope she figures it out on her own, or someone tells her soon."

Right now, not even Kyoko or Haru know about the whole mafia thing yet. It's only fair if they know first before Kaia, since Kaia's only met Tsuna and the others not very long ago. It's only been about a month, I think. In the story, that is…

In her current state, Kaia's in pure rage. She isn't really thinking, only thinking about how angry she is, how suspicious the others are behaving. However, Kaia will change, as I have said before. She might be able to figure it out later on, but I'll leave you guys to judge. For now, let's just get on with the story.

For Yume Kagehana, who is my collab partner in Playing with Time…Must you tell everyone in the world that that was the second chapter you've read?! O.o

For The Great Pineapple MEKI, I'll miss you~! :D

Another reviewer actually made an account to review, and I'm really happy about that. Say hello to meerla11. meerla11 is beginning to dislike Kaia for being so negative… Still, not to worry, Kaia's going to be different. In my opinion, I like her a lot more after the Future Arc. Which urges me to rush through the Millifore Arc as quickly as possible to get to the new Kaia. However, there's a problem – my pace can't catch up to that, even if I type around 2000 words a day.

Which means hiatus. D:

And the feature song suggestions…meerla11 asked if suggestions of anime songs are acceptable. Of course they are – it sometimes makes things a lot easier looking for lyrics. :]

Which brings us to the reviews from China, AkaMizu-Chan, and Amaris Solbes, each of them stating that Scene 100 was a repeat or the same chapter from Scene 99. Happy you noticed. For those also complaining but didn't review or contact me about it, I'd like to address this situation.

Of course, if I updated that scene as the only update today, it would be a no-brainer that readers wouldn't be too happy. And I think you guys weren't that unhappy when I posted it after Scene 99…not as unhappy if I posted it today as the only update.

Scene 100 continues from where Scene 99 left off. It's supposedly one entire section, but sections start at chapter 101.

However, sections are a lot longer. Which means less cutting off chunks of a continuing string of writing. This update is a section. Much, much longer than a scene. If I can get up to Section 100, then probably I'll make the updates longer and longer… Yeah. :]

Anyway, about this update. This time, Kaia changes her outlook a little bit.

Please enjoy the section, and review at the end! :D

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"Did the two of you sleep well? You can start your mission to gather the Guardians!" Reborn said.

"H-Huh?" Tsuna jumped. "W-Wait a minute! I haven't prepared myself yet- besides-"

"As long as you keep on worrying about Kyoko and the others, you won't be able to start. The purpose in gathering the Guardians is so we can protect Kyoko and the others."

"It's going to be fine, Juudaime!" Gokudera beamed, mustering his most cheerful face. "I-Pin can do it! They'll come back safely for sure!"

"Let's begin then," nodded Reborn. "I was just discussing it with Yamamoto. The Guardian we need is someone who is ready to fight… the strongest, which means _that_ guy…"

"When you mean…'strong'… you mean…" Tsuna raised an eyebrow.

"That's right," answered Reborn. "Hibari Kyouya."

"Heheheh…since I'm here, he's the strongest of the Guardians…" Gokudera nervously chuckled.

"…Then… where's Hibari now?" blinked Tsuna, shaking the prospect of a competing Gokudera out of his head.

"It's unknown," answered the Arcobaleno.

"I was also gone for a good long time, so now I have no idea where that guy is," said Yamamoto. "This is the only lead we have." He gave the paper he had in his hand to Tsuna and Gokudera. The two glanced at the photo.

"Ehh?! Isn't this Bird's Bird?!" Tsuna blurted.

"Hibari's taking care of it now," said Reborn. "It seems to be called Hibird."

"It seems that a long time ago, Haru saw it riding on Hibari's shoulder," explained Yamamoto, grinning.

"Th-This is our only clue?" Tsuna sweat-dropped.

"Well, considering how much he loves Namimori, there should definitely be a clue in this town. Seeing as I can't go, keep a steady lookout and bring him back."

"You-Your body will get damaged that much if you ventured outside…?" Tsuna perked up, his entire body tensing up.

"Don't worry about it so much," shrugged Reborn. "Eventually, we'll get to that conversation when you're ready." Said like a parent, Reborn. Said like a parent.

"Yamamoto will accompany you guys," continued the Arcobaleno. "He's familiar with the combat style of this era."

"Ahh…even so…" Tsuna was uneasy.

"Whaaat??" grinned Yamamoto. "Aren't you guys carrying an amazing power which this era's family has lost?" Tsuna and Gokudera were not only clueless; they couldn't follow what Yamamoto meant. Yamamoto gave them a sympathetic smile, knowing they were yet to live through that hell.

"A hope that you guys brought with you… I mean," continued Yamamoto. "The Vongola Rings."

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Kaia furrowed her brow in concentration. She was trying to research in the library; Yamamoto had shown her this place. But there wasn't a single thing about the Vongola and stuff in here. She was finished scanning one aisle; now she had moved on to the second.

There was a sudden _thump_. She jumped, and looked above her. Something happened up above the floor she was in. Kaia blinked, and just shrugged it away; it was probably nothing. She resumed looking around.

There was another, louder thump. More like a _boom_.

Nevertheless Kaia looked up in wonder, curiosity, and worry. _What's going on?!_

She rushed out of the library and to the elevator to get to the first level. She suddenly heard a whoosh and a swish. A thought crossed her mind: _Is there like a storm outside or something? It seems pretty warm and sunny outside though._

There was another boom, now frightfully close. The elevator dinged, and Kaia stepped out.

"What are you doing?" The voice came from below. Kaia looked down and abruptly halted.

"R-Reborn, what's going on?" stuttered Kaia. "I know something's going on."

"What do you mean? I can't hear anything," frowned Reborn. _So she is using that thing without knowing at all? She is fit for the job, isn't she… Iemitsu… _Reborn frowned. "Are you sure?"

"Yamamoto, Gokudera, and Tsuna are gone, too…" mumbled Kaia. She sniffed the air. "What's that?"

"What do you mean?" blinked Reborn.

"I smell…something…" frowned Kaia. There was another _boom_. "What's going on?! I know you know at least something."

"Tsuna, Gokudera, and Yamamoto went outside. But it's dangerous, so I advise you to stay inside," said Reborn. Kaia frowned. She stepped to the side.

"Why would I trust you?" questioned Kaia. Reborn stepped to the side, blocking Kaia's way.

"Because I know more than you do about what's going on," replied Reborn. "Trust me; I know best."

"Are…you…sure?" Kaia raised an eyebrow. She stepped to the other side and plowed on. Reborn nodded, following her. Another _boom_ echoed in the hallway, followed immediately by another. "Then can't you tell me something about up there?"

"I did," answered the Arcobaleno. "I'm worried about them. When they come in, make sure to ready the bandage supplies." Kaia frowned. There was another _boom_. She stopped and turned to face Reborn.

"What do you mean, ready the bandage supplies?" Kaia raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?!"

"I told you – it's dangerous." Kaia just looked at Reborn, staring in disbelief. She saw a wrinkle between his eyebrows, a frown on his face; he wasn't kidding. He was worried. Seriously worried. Kaia blinked, stupefied. Reborn looked up.

"Can we trust you to help us out?" he asked. Kaia mentally laughed. _Taking advantage of my pity on his worry to ask for help? _She grimaced and narrowed her eyes.

"I don't know…" Kaia looked away. "I will, but don't take it like I'm stupid, blind friends with you. Friends with secrets are never my friends. I'm just doing this so that I won't be forgotten." She gritted her teeth.

"Then please prepare the first aid kit," said Reborn. Outside, there was a _voosh_. Kaia turned.

"What's up with the weird noises today?!" she growled irritably. "I'm freaking trying to help you guys and you start flinging weird SFX's?!" She huffed and clenched her teeth tightly. "Reborn, show me where the first aid kit is, please…" Now, there was a _vroooomm_.

"This way," Reborn turned and began to walk. Kaia followed close by, glaring a murderous glare behind and above her. She knew they were up there, somewhere.

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"Kaia, can you please run up to ground level to find them? I can't go outside," said Reborn. "The warehouse exit." Kaia nodded, and she left. She took the elevator to the first level, made it past the laser door, and she walked a while uphill into an old warehouse. She came out into the light, blinking in the sudden beam of sunlight. She breathed in her first breath of fresh air in days. Kaia looked around; it was a real dump. But she saw people.

"Gokudera, Yamamoto, Haru, Lambo, I-Pin?!" she blinked. "How'd they get here too?!" Gokudera was just about to walk off somewhere, distress seen plainly on his face even from fifteen meters off. Gokudera stopped dead in his tracks. He turned.

"K-Kaia?!" Yamamoto looked up.

"Ehh? Kaia, you're here, too?" Gokudera raised an eyebrow. Haru was facing away. Lambo was crying loudly as before, and I-Pin seemed to be fine. "You shouldn't be here…"

"Just- Just shut up, for God's sake! I'm trying to help you, and you further irritate me with all those weird noises up here!" growled Kaia. She dived straight for Haru, Lambo, and I-Pin. Gokudera turned and just watched, horror stricken on his face. Yamamoto turned in amusement.

"H-Haru-san?" blinked Kaia. Haru looked up. There were no tears; she was just shocked, scared.

"K-Kaia-chan?! Where are we?!" she cried.

"I don't know exactly, but it's pretty much like Namimori," answered Kaia, glaring at Gokudera. She looked back and held out a hand. "Come on; we should be getting inside." Haru blinked.

"Inside?" she repeated. Kaia nodded reassuringly.

"Yeah," she smiled. "Lambo, I-Pin, come here." Lambo looked up, snot and tears dribbling down his chin, He sniffled and rubbed it all on his sleeve, before lighting up brightly and hobbling to Kaia. I-Pin looked up, blinking, smiled, and came. Kaia smiled. She wasn't useless, at least.

"K-KAIA!!" beamed Lambo. "You should have seen it! It was like fireworks!!" Kaia smiled down at him and patted his head, then glared at Yamamoto and Gokudera. Gokudera gritted his teeth. _Great, not only does she hate me, she prefers the stupid cow over me! _Yamamoto blinked, unaccustomed to the hatred he received from Kaia.

"Good, good, Lambo. It _is_ sad that I didn't get to see anything…" Kaia smiled. "Well, let's all go inside over there…" She motioned to the old warehouse.

"But… [Demo…]" Haru interjected, looking the other way. "What about Tsuna-san and Kyoko-chan?"

"…what?" Kaia blinked, looking where Haru was looking, then looking at Gokudera and Yamamoto. "Hey, you two, you know where Tsuna-san and Kyoko-san are??"

"Juudaime should be fine," growled Gokudera. He looked in that same direction, brow furrowed. He was worried; Tsuna, as the victor, would have emerged by now. They had waited a bit for him to come already. "Let's wait a little more."

"If he was fine, Gokudera-san, he would be here!" snapped Kaia, and she blindly took off in that direction.

"Hey- Kaia!! Don't go there!" Gokudera took off after Kaia, intent to stop her. She could do something stupid, like all girls end up doing.

It wasn't soon before he lost her. Gokudera stopped and just stood there. He began to slowly retrace his steps, bitterly cursing to himself.

Kaia, for some reason, turned off the main path abruptly, and came to an enormous storehouse, rotting down to its roots. She looked around, assuming Tsuna and Kyoko would be somewhere. She bit her lip; she hadn't expected herself to be looking for Tsuna and Kyoko, but she was. But it was all so that her memory wouldn't go to waste.

"Tsuna-san?! Kyoko-san?!" she shouted, her voice reverberating and echoing off the metal walls. She heard a faint reply; guessing out a location, she began to run. "Tsuna-san?! Kyoko-san?! Where are you?!"

"H-Here… Here!!" cried a shrill, panicking voice. Kaia turned the bend, into another warehouse. It was Kyoko, crying and trying to cover up her futile attempts to bandage Tsuna up. His shoulder seemed to be broken or dislocated. Kyoko looked up.

"K-Kaia! What is this place?!" she blinked away tears. Kaia rushed over closer.

"Kyoko-san, what happened?!" Kaia shook her head. "I'm not sure, but it's really similar to Namimori…"

"I-I don't know…" Kyoko looked down to Tsuna. "But…I don't know what to _do_! Tsuna-kun needs help!!" Kaia reached into her pocket.

"_Always bring around bandages, Kaia, in case that little dent in your head decides to ooze," grinned Soto._

"Here, I'll bandage him temporarily. It'll hold for a bit, so we can get him to safety, and we can fix him up properly, okay?" Kaia smiled grimly. She unwound about a meter of tape, as Kyoko began to roll the sleeve up. Kaia began to work the tape around Tsuna's shoulder.

"Is anyone in here?!" roared a familiar voice.

"Shut up!! [Kurosai!!]" snarled Kaia. "We're here!!" Rapid footsteps followed Gokudera's frantic pants for air, until he came around the bend and found the two girls and Tsuna.

"Juudaime!!" he cried, rushing up to Kaia and Kyoko. "What the hell happened?!"

"How would I know, idiot?! You were up here, you're responsible for this, too!!" grumbled Kaia. "We need to get him inside quickly. Gokudera, you get to hold his head and his arm; be careful. Kyoko, you grab one leg and I grab the other. Let's go." Gokudera kneeled by Juudaime's head and put one hand under his back, the other gingerly grasping the arm. Kyoko and Kaia each took a leg, and they all lugged Tsuna out of the warehouse and into the light.

"Tsuna-san!!"

"Tsuna!!"

"Get away, he's unconscious! He needs air, nevertheless! You can all talk to him when he's awake," snapped Kaia. "Hurry! We need to get inside!!"

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**A pretty okay length for future updates? :]** **Remember, the sections' number of words would range from 800 at the shortest to 2800 at the most.** **Please review! :D** **Thanks for reading, and have an awesome summer!**


	102. Cloud, the Creator of Thunder

Ahh, yes I'm back again. xD

It's the end of July, and so much for my festival fireworks thing. Heh.

Anyway, I figured out I'm going to be gone in August, from the seventh to the seventeenth. So I'll have to catch up to that, make up for the sections you would otherwise get to at the seventeenth. Which is much too late.

Therefore, here is Section 102! :D

Also, sadly, I won't be updating tomorrow. However, I think I can get back on Sunday, and if not, Monday.

And for those wondering, as well as meerla11, Kaia's difference would be the way she sees the world, her personality and attitude. Not so much as the way she fights. We'll see about that. :]

Please enjoy, and review at the end! xD

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"So, you've all come here."

Yamamoto, Lambo, I-Pin, Haru, Kyoko, and Kaia stood, gathered in the 'living room' of the base.

"Hey, kid…" Yamamoto managed to grin.

"Reborn-chan!!" Kyoko and Haru exclaimed, surprised to see Reborn in such a place, in such an outfit.

"You must have been shocked at many things. I have to tell you what's going to happen from here on. Please listen carefully." Reborn frowned.

"We've been sent to the world, ten years into the future. Which means this is Namimori, ten years into the future. This is the world, ten years into the future. Now-"

"Why wouldn't you tell me a thing before, Reborn?!" Kaia bit her lip. "Why wouldn't you tell until you had Yamamoto-san here, and Kyoko-san and Haru-san?!" Haru and Kyoko just looked on. "Why don't I deserve a single thing?!" She took a deep breath, controlling herself, looking away shamefully. "Sorry [Gomenasai], I was being so selfish…"

"Kaia, you deserve a lot of things right now. All of us do. But right now, we should sit it out and figure what to do next. We're in a dangerous, tight situation right now," replied Reborn. He looked to Kyoko and Haru. Haru had truly broken down in tears now. Kyoko looked at Haru with a pitying eye and put a hand on her shoulder. Kaia ripped her eyes off the sight.

"I think it would be best if you girls take care of Lambo and I-Pin, as well as the meals. Now, Tsuna is in the infirmary," remarked the Arcobaleno. "With Gokudera. Thanks to Kaia, Tsuna has made it without much blood loss." He smiled. "Come on, I think he's woken up."

Yamamoto was grim. Haru and Kyoko left, closely followed by Yamamoto and Reborn. Kaia was left, alone in the room.

She winced. Her bullet-wounds were bleeding again, since the time she was outside, running to save Tsuna. She put her hand against her stomach and removed it after feeling oozy liquid between her fingers. It was blood, rich, red, life-giving blood. Kaia kneeled down, feeling a little dizzy.

She clenched her teeth.

_Shoot…Shoot…how could this suddenly happen?! I was fine a while ago…_

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"W-Who is missing?" trembled the voice on the other line. "Who?"

"According to the attendance, Sawada Tsunayoshi, Gokudera Hayato, Yamamoto Takeshi, Sasagawa Kyoko, Miura Haru, and Raiahu Kaiashi are absent today. Also, Reborn, I-Pin, and Lambo are gone," answered another.

"Chiara is- my dear Chiara is gone!!" sobbed the first voice. "Not only that…so many others, even the innocent!"

"You've never called Kaia by that pet name, Allegra… Is there something wrong?!" Dino's frown furrowed.

"Iemitsu's gone to Japan to look for them," replied Allegra. "He's worried about Tsuna…and…"

"And of the future of the Vongola, of course," frowned Dino. "How's the Ninth?"

"Worried, but fine so far," replied Allegra. "I'm-I'm coming to Japan."

"What?!" burst Dino. "You shouldn't leave Italy with the Ninth in that state!!"

"But this is important. Even the Young Lion of the Vongola has left home territory to look for the cubs; the Hawk isn't restricted because of ties with the family!" she growled. "I'm coming to Japan. Period. I'll have to check on my doll here as well."

"…when are you going to tell Tsuna? And Kaia?"

"When they can take it."

"But…what of your own health? You sound like you haven't slept for days, maybe even weeks."

"I have slept, just not much," Allegra said hastily. "I will meet up with you tomorrow."

The phone clicked off.

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"I don't need it!!" Kaia repeated, shaking her head, shoving a canister of pills back to Reborn. "I have no use for medicine, for goodness's sake!!" Reborn frowned and looked up to Kaia, who was sitting on the bed in her room.

"You wouldn't be able to help at all if you remain weak," remarked the Arcobaleno. Kaia frowned. Reborn handed the canister to Kaia again. "Suck on one when the wound begins to bleed again, then swallow it when the blood eased off a little. Never directly chew on or swallow them. And never take them unless you seriously need to. This is just a safety precaution, as well as the only way you're going to stay out of the infirmary until those wounds heal." Reborn began to walk away.

"Reborn- how did I get these wounds in the first place though?" Kaia asked. Reborn turned.

"Bullets; I think you've seen those big machines with legs and arms?" Reborn paused, seeing Kaia nodding. "They're machines to search out targets and to kill them. So it's dangerous out there. I advise helping out Kyoko and Haru make the meals." Reborn left.

Kaia looked down to her hand, clutching the canister of pills. It faintly resembled the pills that Tsuna had; she had seen them once before. They were big and round – like gumballs. Kaia smiled to herself. She threw the canister of pills on the ground.

She faintly remembered seeing Tsuna gulp them down like they were the best food in the world. But she didn't remember what happens afterwards. Kaia shook her head. She was sure she hadn't seen him gulp them down; it was her imagination. She had only seen him hold the pillbox.

Kaia laid down on her bed, staring up into space. Her mind was cluttered with so many thoughts.

Before she knew it, she was comparing between Gokudera and Hibari – the two who had claimed her on the Tuesday that seemed a world apart.

Both had pride enough for three people. Both refuse to work with people that are weak in their eyes. Both have nasty bad tempers. Both like her.

But Hibari organizes people by herbivores and carnivores. Hibari uses tonfas. Hibari is cold, usually to everyone. Hibari has no vent to pour out the soft emotions; that was Kaia's role. Hibari says "I'll bite you to death" ["Kamikorosu"] a lot.

Gokudera admires and follows Tsuna. Gokudera calls Tsuna Juudaime. Gokudera uses bombs and explosives, like that Byakuran. Gokudera is rude to a lot of people. Gokudera hates girls in general. Gokudera isn't pleasant to be around, most of the time. Gokudera is creepy when he is, and that tends to be slightly awkward.

Hibari acknowledges Yamamoto without 'herbivore.' Gokudera absolutely hates Yamamoto cold. Kaia finds him reliable, cheerful, all-around good. She had a good feeling Gokudera didn't like that, and that Hibari didn't like that either.

Yamamoto. He was a good guy. He was always the good guy. He was never a bad guy. Kaia, however, knows he is a good guy, and a bad guy. He refuses to tell any of the information to Kaia, or the girls.

There was a sudden, piercing siren. Kaia started and burst through her door, glancing fearfully down the hallway, left, right.

"It's alright, everyone, it's just a false alarm," said Gianni over the loudspeaker. "No need to worry."

_Great, another weirdo that I never knew was here. And now this person is here?_

Kaia yawned, shut her door, crawled onto her bed, and decided to have a good nap.

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The outside noises continued. Kaia yawned and sat up in her bed. She looked up curiously. There were those weird noises again, the boom, the bang, the voosh, the vroom, the everything! She narrowed her eyes irritably and shrugged it away. They were probably busy again.

She stood up and stretched, then exited. She wanted to get as close to the sounds as possible; she could probably learn something about what they were doing up on the ground. She rushed to the elevator, and jabbed the level one button, as if a storm catcher on a lead.

Slowly, she began to sense something, like an aura, or-

_Hibari-sempai!_

There was another aura, one of static. She couldn't recognize it. There was another _boom_. Indistinct voices. She rushed further closer; she came to a part of the base that looked different; more Japanese-styled. The auras grew stronger. The voices grew louder. There was another violent shockwave, but Kaia plowed on.

Shockwave after shockwave the energy came against Kaia's running form. The auras came stronger. She slowed down; she was bleeding again. Kaia gritted her teeth. She dug in her pocket; she remembered clearly that she had stuck those pills in her pocket when she came running out. And yes, they were there. Kaia smirked, as she trotted along. She popped open the lid of the container. She took out a pill and regarded it for a second.

She grimaced and chucked the pill into her mouth, quickly chewing it and swallowing. It had no taste, but she could feel something. Her senses were heightened. She felt this before; it was like a different way of getting to this stage. It was Ria.

She immediately began to feel pain coursing throughout her body. The stupid pill was poison!! Rather, it was poisonous to her. She knew it in her heart that there was no difference if you sucked on a pill or if you swallowed it; the same chemicals would get into the body either way. Apparently Reborn wanted her to suffer more than the pill usually would cause.

"So, this is the end."

Kaia looked up. She had gotten to an exit; it was the Namimori shrine. It was Hibari, tonfas in hand, some purple stuff circling him. Kaia smiled, her mind tracing back to the canvases.

_I knew it… Purple really did suit you._

"That's-" began a voice. It was Tsuna; he was here as well, but out of sight.

"You two are really late," remarked Hibari, out of the corner of his eye. He was in a charge, deciding to finish off Gamma. Kaia tilted her head; she caught sight of a blonde man. The man made eye-contact with her for a split second; Kaia was instantly afraid.

"That kid…he's…impossible…" the man muttered, looking in Tsuna's direction. He was knocked into the air, out of sight. Hibari leaped into the air as well, out of sight. There was a strangled cry, and Kaia paled.

Both that man and Hibari landed on the ground again; Hibari apparently unharmed, and the blonde man was badly hurt. Kaia could tell from the amount of blood splattered on him.

"I don't need a ring of lightning," Hibari muttered, looking down at the Mare Ring.

"Th-That's-" gaped Tsuna.

"What have you been up to, Sawada Tsunayoshi?" Hibari glanced at Tsuna, a slight smile on his lips, as if he were satisfied.

"H-Hibari-san!!" Tsuna seemed relieved for some reason. Kaia winced again; she was bleeding worse than before.

"Yamamoto Takeshi and Gokudera Hayato are over there," remarked Hibari.

"E-Ehh?" Tsuna ran into the forest; Kaia couldn't see him anymore. She daren't inch closer and see more. She was sure of what gore she would see, after seeing that blonde man's injuries. She looked away.

_How could Hibari-sempai do this to him? He didn't do anything…did he?_

"Gokudera-kun!! Yamamoto!!" cried Tsuna. Kaia was confirmed of their current state. They were off a little bit, and their voices were indiscernible. Mostly because Kaia didn't want to pay any attention to them anymore. She didn't want to listen to them talk about the injured and possibly dead.

"Wait. We have casualties," said a woman's voice. Kaia swore she had never heard it before, yet she knew she had. "Right now, it's too dangerous for us to move them over such a long distance to return to the hatch." She was just out of sight.

"Don't worry about that," replied Hibari. "We will be using our own entrance." He began to walk in her direction. Kaia retreated fearfully, not wanting to be found out. She looked around. The blood stains on the floor obviously wouldn't be ignored. Hibari was right in front of the entrance now. Yet he saw nothing. Kaia hadn't a clue why, but she quickly wiped her sleeve on the floor, and the blood was gone. Hibari came forward, step by step. Glancing fearfully at Hibari, she took off at a dangerous run. Her wounds were still bleeding, and she was weak from the poison.

She gritted her teeth from the pain, and she knew that a trail of blood was following her. She picked up her pace, so the blood would space out, and leave a smaller probability to be found out. She came to a door, a hatch that looked exactly like the door to the warehouse. It opened automatically for her, in her surprise, but she shrugged it off and plowed on. There was nobody in the hallway; taking the chance, she rushed in and immediately turned off a corner, leaving no blood traces around the bend.

Kaia ripped off her jacket and put it on the dripping wound; no more blood traces. She limped as fast as she could to her room, wishing with all her might nobody would be on the elevator or in the hallway to her room.

Reborn came walking by, from another intersection to Hibari's door to wait for Tsuna and the two injured Guardians. He stopped and looked down at the mysterious blood trail; it stopped abruptly at his feet. He frowned and turned his head left and right down the other hallways. No blood traces. He caught an air of suspicion and walked on.

There was a strange draft in the hallway. He came to the hatch. It was never opened, ever, before. And yet it easily, just like that, had slid open? It seemed like it – nobody had forced it open. On the other hand, nobody had the password to open it aside from Hibari. And it was highly unlikely Hibari would have opened it to enter into the base voluntarily. Reborn hadn't a single idea how the door ended up opened, and how the blood trail had stopped abruptly at the first crossroad. Reborn frowned.

Unless… Hibari had sustained a hidden injury from Gamma.

It was the unthinkable.

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Remember Manga Chapter 115…? Reborn was waiting at the door between the Vongola Base and the Foundation's research institute.

Anyway, thanks so much for reading! And now is the time to review. So review please~! :D

Tune in next time, and have an awesome summer! x]


	103. Reborn's Proposition

Hey, I'm back…again!! :D

Sorry for posting so late …and for the relatively short post. It'll be longer later. Next update, I think.

I didn't get a chance yesterday, due to problems on my laptop here… D:

Thanks for reviewing, everyone! :D

anonyMan, thanks for giving me a heads-up on the manga update. And it did clear things up. But without adding an idea to the scheme of things [in the story, of course]. :]

Really? Confusing how she changes a lot? Well of course. Her life's been turned upside down – from a normal lifestyle and launched to a mess of the future. It'll stabilize out a little bit later though… She'll be fine by the end of the Arc.

She talks like Gokudera? Trash-talk? Not as heavily. She's a girl; and therefore she should at least control her mouth. Hmm, well she does have a tendency to somewhat swear now… o.o;

Yep, BPD is an absolute mess. Especially after PTD and in her flame condition. Unless the flame condition went away or sort of faded to a very mild type [like a dormant volcano] to erupt again sometime soon.

Ahh, meerla11 suggested a song: "Shinkai no kodoku" by Houko Kuwashima. I found the lyrics. Very nice song. And I think I can find a place to slide it in… :]

Only, it isn't going to be appearing that soon. Remember, I've already finished writing the entire Future Arc. The song will come after the Future Arc.

And thanks to kaitlin177, there will be scoreboard updates. Check it out…

**Mukuro/Kaia: 9** [and 5 re-votes from Shin] [one of the votes are from Shoko-Chan, and she re-votes twice]

**Belphegor/Kaia: 7 **[a re-vote from The Great Pineapple MEKI] [a re-vote from RemStrike78] [and a re-vote from AkaMizu-Chan] [kaitlin177 re-votes]

**Gokudera/Kaia: 7** [and 1 1/2 re-votes from Shin] [another re-vote from Crazee4anime] [a re-vote from little-L.A.M.]

**Hibari/Kaia: 5 **[a re-vote from that~one]

Yamamoto/Chrome: 2 [and 2 re-votes from Shin] [and a re-vote from Banyou]

Hibari/Haruka: 2 [and another re-vote from Shin]

Mukuro/Kaia with a Hibari twist: 1 [and 3 re-votes from Shoko-Chan]

Belphegor/Kaia with a Mukuro twist: 1

**Soto/Kaia: 1**

**Byakuran/Kaia: 1**

Xanxus/Kaia: 1

Woahh…Gokudera/Kaia and Belphegor/Kaia [which are tied] are so close to beating Mukuro/Kaia!! O_O

However, on the other hand, counting re-votes, both entries still have a long way to go to top Mukuro/Kaia and therefore take first place in the poll.

Everyone, vote! Support your favorite pairing!! xD

And please review, too, of course. After reading! :D

Please enjoy~

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Kaia gritted her teeth.

_You can do this, you can do this stupid little thing. You can survive a little pain, come on! Such a wimp, you are, come on!_

She panted. She hated Reborn for this. The pillbox she got from Reborn was flung on the ground, now in some corner of her room. Kaia groaned; her eyes were shut tight, trying to live past the pain. Suddenly, a thought popped in her head.

_Why wasn't I noticed at all? Why was I ignored, like I wasn't even there? Why was I so seemingly non-existant?_

Anger flared out inside her. The pain subsided; it seemed faraway now. Kaia gritted her teeth. Her fist came down on the bed in frustration.

"Why?! Why?! Why?!" she sobbed into her pillow, her strangled cries muffled by the pillow. Then, she saw Soto. She wouldn't believe it, but she saw Soto, her mother, Jasmine.

"_Now, Kaia, it's time for us to part," Kaia's mother looked down and gave Kaia a small smile. She was young, then. "It's time for me to go work now. Soto here will take care of you." She smiled. "Everything will be alright, okay, Kaia?" Tears were running down her cheeks. She kneeled down and grasped Kaia's shoulders._

"_Everything will be alright," she said once more, pulling Kaia into their last hug. "Everything will be alright." Now, she stood up. Jasmine looked to Kaia's mother._

"_We need to go now."_

"_Bye," Kaia's mother smiled a teary smile to Kaia one last time. Kaia beamed and waved good-bye._

"_Baiiii, mamaa~!!" smiled the young Kaia. Her mother turned away, unable to bear the emotional downpour._

"_Hey[Ne], Kaia, I'm Soto [Watashi wa Soto]," smiled a man, looming over her, rubbing her head, messing her hair up. Kaia looked up._

"_Wh-Why is mama going away??" Kaia smiled cheerfully. "Will she come back??"_

"_I don't know," Soto replied with a frown. He looked up. "All I know is that your mother will always be there for you."_

Kaia buried her head in her pillow, mentally screaming at him.

_How could she be here for me?! How is she here for me?! She isn't here!_

She calmed herself. She forced herself to stop breathing so fast. She stopped gritting her teeth in frustration. She sat up, clenching her teeth to bear the pain in her stomach.

She froze.

It was that little flame again.

Floating, invisible, gone, and it was there again, fading in and out.

And her pain, like the flame, faded in and out. Kaia was intrigued. The flame went out like a candle in a hurricane, and Kaia doubled over again in pain.

_What was that? What's going on? Am I…having hallucinations? Seeing illusions? Making up a mirage? Dreaming?_

She knew that she was sitting on the fence; in the half-land border between Kaia and Ria. But this had never happened before, at least not like this.

_Should I go for help? No, I'm not as low to go for help from them. They wouldn't help me – they only help their own kind._

Kaia squeezed her eyes shut and tucked herself into a ball, hoping that pain would just go away.

_Then…why can't I help myself? Why couldn't I-_

It was a wave of calmness, serenity. Her head cleared instantly. She opened her eyes. This had happened before, yet it felt entirely new. The pain subsided, and it didn't come back. She looked around the room; the blood from her wounds was all over her jacket and clothes, on the floor, on the bed, in the sheets and pillow. Kaia knew that it was unavoidable that they would find out. But she would prolong it. They never notice a thing about her.

Kaia gritted her teeth. She was such a weakling. She changed into other clothes she had scavenged from her luggage and marched out angrily.

"Kaia."

She stopped and looked.

"What do you want, Reborn?" she snarled.

"You have thirteen days to strengthen yourself, before I go train the guys," said Reborn. "In secret." Kaia blinked at the proposition.

"Tutor me or Ria?" she asked quietly.

"Both," answered Reborn. "Thirteen days. Would you?"

"If you manage to bleed me, of course," answered Kaia, cracking a smile. "Bleed me first before I…take Leon from you."

"Starting tomorrow morning," answered the Arcobaleno. "Two in the morning, sharp. Training room in the eighth floor."

"I will be looking forward to that," nodded Kaia. "Good night."

"You too; get some sleep." Reborn remained standing and did not leave.

"I couldn't," replied Kaia. "Hungry." Reborn frowned.

"It's ten in the night now. You should hurry to the kitchen and heat some food, and come back to sleep. I'm telling you, there's going to be vigorous training. And you cannot show any sign of exhaustion in front of Tsuna or any of them."

Kaia nodded tiredly.

"Good night," she said. Reborn nodded and walked off.

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I'll update again today, to make up for yesterday. :]

So…keep on reading! And if the next section isn't posted yet, hang around or review [and vote and suggest and complain and whatever… xD] while you wait for it to appear. :]

Thanks!


	104. Begin Training

Woah, just checked my mail and found more reviews right after I posted section 3. :D

Again, thanks so much, everyone, for the reviews! xD

A reviewer, n a g a s h i . n o . k u r o, says the story is a little confusing. If it's confusing, for anyone that's confused with the story, try following along the events in the manga with the story; it'll give you an idea what's happening when, like Kaia does this while Tsuna is there and does that. :]

I hope that helps… xD

If not, you can contact me [again, if it's n a g a s h i . n o . k u r o]

Ahh, and n a g a s h i . k u r o, you'll have to read the author comments up here if you want to see the pairing poll updates. :]

And no, I didn't close the poll yet. Which means I haven't decided. However, since Mukuro/Kaia is in the lead, I'll have to assume this is going to be the final pairing until another entry takes up first place.

Well, since kaitlin177 voted again, here's the updated scoreboard:

**Mukuro/Kaia: 9** [and 5 re-votes from Shin] [one of the votes are from Shoko-Chan, and she re-votes twice]

**Belphegor/Kaia: 7 **[a re-vote from The Great Pineapple MEKI] [a re-vote from RemStrike78] [and a re-vote from AkaMizu-Chan] [kaitlin177 re-votes twice]

**Gokudera/Kaia: 7** [and 1 1/2 re-votes from Shin] [another re-vote from Crazee4anime] [a re-vote from little-L.A.M.]

**Hibari/Kaia: 5 **[a re-vote from that~one]

Yamamoto/Chrome: 2 [and 2 re-votes from Shin] [and a re-vote from Banyou]

Hibari/Haruka: 2 [and another re-vote from Shin]

Mukuro/Kaia with a Hibari twist: 1 [and 3 re-votes from Shoko-Chan]

Belphegor/Kaia with a Mukuro twist: 1

**Soto/Kaia: 1**

**Byakuran/Kaia: 1**

Xanxus/Kaia: 1

And a reminder: I'm still looking for versus battles. :]

I have Bel vs. Kaia so far, and I'm going to add Bel vs. Mukuro and Mukuro vs. Hibari to future face-offs. :]

That'll be fun…

Anyway, please enjoy the story, and I hope it won't be confusing…

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"Good morning," mumbled Kaia as she walked in casually through the door. "Reborn-senseii…" She calmly held up a hand, as Reborn came, seemingly out of nowhere, to attack Kaia with a green stick. Kaia held her ground and yawned, apparently not even using any real strength. Kaia smirked and walked on. Her Arcobaleno tutor disappeared out of sight again.

He came at Kaia from the back now. She merely side-stepped him, and Reborn nearly came crashing into the wall at the speed he was going at. Reborn gritted his teeth in frustration. _Soto had trained her to such a level in the years he had her… No, only I have the potential to do such a thing. She's just fighting like a drunkard._

"So it starts now?" Kaia raised an eyebrow, her half-lidded eyes still sleep-ridden. "Aww~ Where's Leon~?" She stretched. A gunshot rang out, inches from where her stomach had been. Kaia had bent her belly forward into a refreshing stretch. "Such a nice way to get started for the day~!" Now she bent the other way, just as Reborn fired a bullet at where she had been. Kaia laughed aloud and stood upright. Reborn wasn't amused.

"Beginner's luck," he muttered, firing more shots from where he stood. Kaia was jumping and dodging the bullets, but still not tired. So her energy-leeching was immediately sucked away when contact with the younger Mukuro was cut off. Kaia grinned, her eyes dancing with delight, slowly being engulfed in red dying will flames. Her expression suddenly darkened.

"It's time I began playing, isn't it, Reborn?" she grinned. Reborn stopped shooting rounds and raised an eyebrow.

"So it's going to get interesting, eh?" Reborn smirked. "I haven't had this much fun since forever."

"I won't go all out," shrugged Ria. "Soto would be angry and throw a fit if he found out I hurt his friend." She smiled. "But I'm still blood innocent, as you know. That proves a gigantic disadvantage for me." Reborn frowned. Why would she smile at pointing out her own disadvantage?

"Enough talking," he muttered, firing successive shots at Ria. His opponent dodged them all; Ria still hadn't bled a single drop yet. Now, Ria pulled out the training knives.

"I'm bringing training knives in; is that okay?" she asked. She received no reply, so she shrugged and threw a handful at Reborn. The Arcobaleno dodged, deflecting them with his Leon-gun. Ria just stood there. It baffled Reborn; usually, people would take advantage of that split moment to attack Reborn directly. But Ria didn't. She just stood there. She was still part Kaia – the Kaia half was merely asleep right now.

"I know you're just playing with me," said Ria. "And I know you know that I'm just playing with you. Can you go all out, please?"

Reborn's reply was a homing bullet. A split moment later, Ria threw a knife so fast that it disappeared from sight. And both projectiles homed in.

The homing bullet was an exploding one. Kaia coughed as she emerged from the smoke and flying dust, boasting a miniscule cut, bleeding on her elbow. Reborn was left defenseless; Leon was hit by the knife, and like a sheet of paper, was tacked onto the wall. The knife was in all the way to the end, excepting a little bit to hold Leon there.

It was a draw.

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"I was only playing with you," Reborn remarked stubbornly. "I would have gone all out and defeated you much sooner."

"So would I," replied Ria, "If I went all out as well." She grinned to herself, standing, facing Reborn in the training room. "You know how Soto would freak out if he saw you covered in injuries. You know equally as well how he would freak out if he saw me covered in injuries." Reborn nodded.

"You still can improve enough," smirked Reborn. "To beat me." Ria shrugged.

"I'd like to release my pent-up Flames of Rage anyhow," she laughed, reading Reborn's raised eyebrow.

"How much do you know?" he asked. Ria shrugged.

"Don't you know how to read minds?" retaliated Ria, raising an eyebrow. Reborn frowned. It was like talking to a completely different person. "It's really rash to say that I can really improve enough to beat you in thirteen days, or even years. After all, you _are_ the world's best mafia hitman."

"How much?" Reborn repeated. Ria grinned; she had a pretty good idea of how stubborn Reborn would be. She told the truth.

"Since the Ring Battles," she shrugged. "But not Kaia, mind you. I'm trying to keep her down a little." Reborn frowned. _Is she really going insane? She's talking of herself…in a way…_

"Then I will train you. We have six hours before they wake up," the Arcobaleno said. "Let's get started then."

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"First of all, you must know the combat style of this time. I believe you have not seen any of it, is that right?" said Reborn.

"How would I know? I don't even know what it is," remarked Ria with a shrug.

"Well," Reborn began. "Rings that can light flames are essential to fighting in this era. There is a pulse of special energy in our bodies, which can be converted in to attribute flames through rings, like Vongola Rings. These flames are a very important factor of victory in this time. Most flames are attack-based; not many flames can be used directly to defend against attacks." Ria nodded.

"There are two basic ways of using the flames," continued Reborn. "One way is to directly manipulate the flames into a weapon to fire them, much like guns or laser-guns. A second way is to open boxes. Boxes are box-like mechanisms that can open and release the thing inside, changing the simple flame energy into different functions and things. Most boxes are plainly called boxes, and some are named to distinguish between others. They contain objects and things that can be animated by flames. But when there is no flame enabling the box to move, it will immobilize, like an animal suddenly falling dead. There are boxes that release items that are engulfed by flames and others that can suck in an opponent's flames to become more powerful. There are storage boxes as well, which contain objects that cannot be animated by a flame. Storage boxes can store nearly anything – some even use it to store extra flames to release in emergencies.

"To open a box, one must both have a strong enough flame and the correct type of flame. There are seven types of flames – Sky, Storm, Rain, Lightning, Sun, Cloud, and Mist. Therefore, there are seven types of boxes, each with attributes like those I have named. The box type and the flame type must both match." Ria nodded again.

"Again, back to the pulse of energy in the body. This is also key to opening a box. These pulses also have seven types, like the box and like the ring. The strength and purity of the energy emitted goes at a fixed rate ever since the time you were born. This is known as the aura. Most humans have separate wave energies flowing through them, however usually if one can light a ring, it would be the only type that can be lighted by that specific person. Most people cannot light rings. Most wave energies are inherited through genes; most family members would have similar, if not the same, flame types. It also affects personality; for example, the Cloud would be calm and drifting, the Rain controlled, and the Lightning most lively. The Sky flame is the only flame that is able to open all types of boxes – however, it cannot draw out the full potential of the non-Sky box. It is a very rare type of flame, and is seldom seen. On average, the normal Mafioso would only see a Sky flame once every five years.

"To summon a dying will flame through a ring requires a sense of resolution and determination. Most normal people would not be able to have that strong sense of resolution; therefore, most normal citizens would be unable to use a box and ring. The stronger your resolution is, the stronger your flame will burn, and the higher the purity of the flame. The purity of a flame refers to its density, in a way, like now powerful it is in a given amount of space. When the purity of a flame increases, the characteristics of that flame would typically change a little bit as well, adapting to the larger amount of power, force, strength, and ability."

"So…" Ria raised an eyebrow.

"You have no ring; therefore you must work out a way to defend yourself from box-and-ring users efficiently," said Reborn. "I trust your judgment and your plans on this – I trust that Soto has done something like this in the past?" He looked up to Ria.

"He has," replied Ria. "How big is the rush, then?"

"Thirteen days, as I have said. Thirteen days to devise a fool-proof method of defeating most box-users. Soto has great expectation in your imagination, and I trust you can come up with one before tomorrow," replied Reborn. "I have a surprise for you at the end of the two weeks. Always train in the utmost secrecy, only at night, when nobody is here and everybody is asleep." Ria nodded.

"We typically sleep at about ten or ten-thirty at night, to about seven-thirty or eight in the morning. I will occasionally drop in to see your progress," said Reborn. "If you do not pass by the time the thirteenth day has come, then Tsuna, Gokudera, Yamamoto, everyone would have to know of your training."

"Good night, Reborn," Ria bowed. The Arcobaleno nodded, turned, and left the room. She looked around the training room. She knew that it was sound-proof, and most violent jolts, thuds, falls, and anything that would affect the rooms around it would be negated.

First of all, thinking was not to be done in a training room like this. She turned and marched out of the room, shutting the door. She had to find the library.

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Ah. That was interesting. However, next section will be much more interesting. It'll relate to scene 54. Remember scene 54? :]

If you don't, you can go check it out if you want. Just a little heads-up for next section. xD

Now, please review and vote and complain and suggest or whatever. :]

Thanks for reading, and please have a great rest of the summer!! x]


	105. The Book of the Vongola

OMG I'm so sorry, everyone!! D:

It's such a late update… And school's coming up too! GAH!

I'll try to update more, but… I just hope I'm not going to forget to update among all my homework.

Hmm, anonyMan, balancing both Ria and Kaia? Ria won't appear that much, I'll give you that. And who was accessing the Cervello records? That was Gokudera. :D

And that book? It's still in the past, buried somewhere in Kaia's apartment. A pet, yes a pet, a pet! :]

Hmm…meerla11 asked what was BPD again. It's Borderline-Personality Disorder. From what I remember, it's like maniac-depression, but those violent mood swings occur in larger intervals. It isn't as serious, the mood swings aren't as random or extreme, and it isn't that easy to get rid of.

Again, to n a g a s h i . n o . k u r o, I really want to get the Future Arc over with. The emo-ness isn't a good side to Kaia. Hah, it's not just you, you know? Everyone that's still reading really wants to know how it ends. But the question is, does it really end? xD

So far, not really. It's still going strong.

Ahh~ and for the scoreboard updates. Here they are:

**Gokudera/Kaia: 10** [and 1 1/2 re-votes from Shin] [another re-vote from Crazee4anime] [a re-vote from little-L.A.M.]

**Mukuro/Kaia: 9** [and 5 re-votes from Shin] [one of the votes are from Shoko-Chan, and she re-votes twice]

**Belphegor/Kaia: 8 **[a re-vote from The Great Pineapple MEKI] [a re-vote from RemStrike78] [and a re-vote from AkaMizu-Chan] [kaitlin177 re-votes four times]

**Hibari/Kaia: 6 **[a re-vote from that~one]

Yamamoto/Chrome: 2 [and 2 re-votes from Shin] [and a re-vote from Banyou]

Hibari/Haruka: 2 [and another re-vote from Shin]

Mukuro/Kaia with a Hibari twist: 1 [and 3 re-votes from Shoko-Chan]

Belphegor/Kaia with a Mukuro twist: 1

**Soto/Kaia: 1**

**Byakuran/Kaia: 1**

Xanxus/Kaia: 1

Woah. Gokudera/Kaia surpassed Mukuro/Kaia. Hmm. Well Mukuro/Kaia hasn't had many votes recently, if any. Let's check what the votes are counting the re-votes.

**Gokudera/Kaia: 13½**

**Mukuro/Kaia: 16**

**Belphegor/Kaia: 15**

**Hibari/Kaia: 7**

Yamamoto/Chrome: 5

Hibari/Haruka: 3

Mukuro/Kaia with a Hibari twist: 4

Belphegor/Kaia with a Mukuro twist: 1

**Soto/Kaia: 1**

**Byakuran/Kaia: 1**

Xanxus/Kaia: 1

Woah. Seems Gokudera, Mukuro, and Belphegor are really fighting for Kaia. Please vote! Keep the poll alive! :D

Also, reminding those who want battles to take place. You can request future battles as well, and I have one between Bel and Kaia. I've added Bel vs. Mukuro and Mukuro vs. Hibari, according to the twist pairing votes.

Now, [finally] about the section, chapter, whatever. The update. Hmm. It has a lot of information inside it, and a lot of the text came from excerpts from books in the story. Not real books though, mind you. Still remember the ending to scene 54?

Yep, I was writing this part [I think] when I decided to add that ending as a Future Arc/the story's real future sneak peek. You may refer to that scene again if you'd like while you read this update. You'll see what I mean.

Well, happy reading, and please review afterwards~! :D

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The next morning came much earlier than anyone expected.

Gokudera prodded the unmoving lump of human sleeping on a book. It sort of looked like Tsuna or Kyoko; they both had brown hair.

"Err… hello?? Wake up…?" Gokudera frowned. "Hello…??" He paused; the person wasn't completely sleeping over the entire book. There were also other books scattered across the desk. Gokudera glanced at them.

_Boxes originated from an ancient idea to create weapons modeled after life forms in nature. In the fourth century, an Italian biologist named Geppetto Lorenzini wrote a 343-volume work on his theory of these boxes, how they would work, and such. Those 343 volumes depicted ideas and theories that, at the time, were unpractical and much too advanced for the technology in the era. The main issues with the boxes were limitless; one such problem was that if even if they were built, there was no energy source. It would not work, both in theory and in that time. There were none who helped Geppetto with his research, and so he lived to old age as an insane old man and died a quiet death. The 343 volumes were then hidden away by a secret society called Cervello, and remained there for more than a thousand years…_

There was another book, lying next to it. It had been tabbed with a big, yellow, sticky note.

_He was considered as the original creator of the boxes, aside from Koenig, Innocenti, and Verde. Koenig, Innocenti, and Verde were members of the Cervello, working as keepers of ancient texts and experimenting with the old ideas. Verde had discovered the secret behind invisibility suits from this research, however as the financial costs were too high, the research wasn't further funded. The three scientists stumbled upon Geppetto's 343 volumes, and from those texts derived that the energy emitted from Mafia legacy rings, such as the Vongola and Mare rings, would power the boxes. Most of the technological problems were cleared in that step, and the three managed to construct a prototype in secret within five years…_

A third book was next to the second one; it was a rather thick one, like an encyclopedia.

_Each volume of Geppetto's work was dedicated to the construction of one box; each of them were based on various life-forms found in nature. But according to the basic build of the boxes, Innocenti, Verde, and Koenig managed to create other boxes, like the storage box, which are boxes typically created to contain tools or weapons. The three scientists decided to sell these boxes to fund their research to the mafia at incredibly, and now viewed as ridiculously, low prices. However, the mafia who had bought the boxes found that they could be extremely useful and powerful in battle, and demanded more. In the end, both Innocenti and Verde had been killed._

_Koenig, the only remaining scientist that had stumbled on the texts of Geppetto, took the volumes of instructions and went into hiding. It is believed that he now constructs and sells the boxes as a weapons dealer…_

Gokudera blinked, before everything sunk in. He looked to the sleeping person; either it was Tsuna or it was Kyoko. He looked to the book the person was sleeping on. The script looked like old Italian, and the edges of the book were frayed. The pages were yellowed and old. Diagrams covered the page, with tiny script in the corners and all around them. The diagrams depicted weapons, captions scribbled in the same Italian explaining each one in thorough detail. The Storm Guardian's eyes widened, as a thought raced across his mind.

_This person is researching…boxes…_

There was a pile of books on the table as well – works and explanations of Einstein, Newton, Nobel, Edison, and a great many other people with Ph.D's about the world. One book was labeled differently – CERN. He raised an eyebrow as he frowned and poked the person again.

"Hello??" Gokudera was beginning to get irritated. But even if it were either Tsuna or Kyoko, he shouldn't get angry. "Hello…?!" He shook the person's shoulder. "Wake up…" Then he caught sight of a notebook open on the other side of the table. Gokudera hesitated, but he walked to the other side, picked up the notebook, and looked at it. There was only one word written on the first line:

_Why__??_

The Storm Guardian flipped the pages. It was entirely blank; but he was looking on the third page. He flipped backwards a page, and his eyes found a narrative, covering the whole of one page. He began to read.

_I haven't a clue how it all happened, but it did. I think today would be Tuesday, but I'm not sure what time these people follow in this place._

_I'll start on Saturday. I had a half-day of school, like always. School was boring, too, but never mind that. After school, Tsuna called me to meet behind the school. I did, and Gokudera, Reborn, Yamamoto, and Tsuna were all there. Apparently, I was to do something to become Tsuna's right-hand man. Like, yeah right, right? I'm not a man, either. Anyway, Reborn told me to go look for Lambo and I-Pin. I went to look for them, and there's this weird guy that popped up in front of me. He said his name was Byakuran, and he said some other stuff. But from there, I knew that he knew something about everything like the Vongola and stuff, and that he was planning to kill one of the Vongola, I think. Or that he didn't like them. Anyway, something exploded in his hand, and I ran for it._

_The next day, I was told to pack up by this person. At first I was weird-ed out, but he told me he was the principal, and wanted me to go on this special school field trip, according to the Namimori Prowess Ranking. I didn't know what prowess meant, and I don't know now. But who cares? I get to skip school to go._

_Monday, I met up with a few other people, like Chrome and Yamamoto and that extreme runner, Ryohei, in front of Tsuna's house. Tsuna, Gokudera, and Reborn came out, and Reborn told us that the people will be coming at night. We were there in the morning, so we all decided to wander a bit. Chrome and I went around, but then there was a sudden burst of that pink smoke again. And I ended up in a box in a car. I stuck my head out and saw that the car was plowing through forest, and someone that looked strangely like Gokudera at the wheel. The car stopped, and he got out and left. I pried open the trunk, which was where the box I was in was in, and jumped out and ran for it. I ran for a while, and I think I got lost. After that, there were these human-like machines that came walking around, and one stopped and beamed something at me._

_After that happened, the older Yamamoto came and brought me here to this high-tech-y place. The regular Tsuna and Gokudera came too, and they were talking about all that stuff they refuse to tell me. Gokudera punched Yamamoto in the face, and Yamamoto was bleeding. I didn't like that at all… Anyway, I left, and here I am._

_No, actually, I came to this big room and found the luggage that I was supposed to bring to that place. I found this notebook in there, as well as a pencil, eraser, and pen, so I took it and came to this place, behind a big cardboard box and near a door at the end of the hallway; it's warm here, probably from the air vent or something behind the door or something._

Gokudera froze.He He couldn't believe his eyes. It was Kaia's notebook, it was her telling of the past few days. She had met Byakuran. She had met a Strau Mosca. And yet, she still lives? Gokudera growled to himself; Byakuran must be the boss of the Gesso family at first; he had taken control of another one in those ten years, he must have. It was evident, even now; Byakuran was not a friendly man, despite his facial expression.

But to think that Kaia had come face to face with their strongest enemy and had lived on past that? He had no idea. He flipped to the first page again; his eyes landed on the lists.

_Vongola – lots of people seem to know about it. It's like common knowledge; but everyone pretends to not know. It's weird, like hide-and-seek [onigokko, or demon chase]…_

_What's the Millifore, anyway? I heard Reborn mention something about that too…_

_People who know__:_

_Sawada Tsunayoshi [Underwear-man] – dead in alt. uni_

_Reborn_

_Yamamoto Takeshi [Sword-person] __[alt. uni]_

_Gokudera Hayato [Bomber-man]_

_Soto_

_Jasmine Opiello_

_Hibari Kyouya [alt. uni]_

_Chrome Dokuro_

_Rokudo Mukuro [Pineapple-san]_

_Byakuran – knows, but not a friend with Tsuna_

_Them__:_

_Hibari Kyouya_

_Rokudo Mukuro_

_Gokudera Hayato_

_the prince [name…?]_

Gokudera was once again astounded. _How could Kaia know so much? She basically got down nearly everyone in Namimori that knows about the mafia – six out of eight people in Juudaime's Vongola family. And…she's met Mukuro in person? Has she? Or does she just know him? And what exactly is __**Them**__ anyway? I seem to be a part of it._

"Mmmmmnnn…" stirred the brown-haired girl. Gokudera hushed his breathing. He hoped she would go back to sleep again, but it didn't work. She sniffed and sat up, stretching and yawning. "Ehh? Why am I here again??" Kaia blinked and looked around, turning and seeing Gokudera with the notebook in hand, looking inside. She immediately snatched it away in shock and put it on the table. She sat back in her chair, facing away from Gokudera, crossing her arms. She was instantly cold, hating, cruel to him. Silently fuming with rage. "What are you doing?"

"Uhh…uhh…" sputtered Gokudera. Kaia scoffed. Gokudera gritted his teeth and decided to ask. "Why…are you researching boxes??" Kaia blinked and frowned.

"Boxes? What do you mean _boxes_? I was looking up characteristics of animals; and I bumped into this stuff about magical boxes with stuff inside," she smiled to herself, despite her anger towards Gokudera. She failed to successfully lie again. "It all seems pretty awesome and really good for a collection of evidence for a novel. The real facts fit, too." She motioned towards the stack of books. Gokudera nodded, but he was still suspicious. "Don't tell me you know what boxes are, too?" Kaia grinned to herself.

"Well, I bumped into this really big book here," Kaia pointed to the ground. The book on the ground was thicker than the thickest commercially-sold dictionary in the world. Its title was _The Vongola_. "It's a pretty good novel, I mean, it even matches with everything in here." Her expression darkened a bit. "I never knew you guys were all just a fan-club of this awesome book! You could have told me!! I love it how Giotto managed to save the day all the time, and how Timeteo worked out the Cradle Affair, and- and all the stories of everything! And it's so much like a diary, I mean, every time it's been updated, the writing style changes! And it's all written in first-person of all the Bosses!! Like- like how the Tenth…Vongola…Sawada Tsunayoshi…ruled…" Now, when she said that, the real meaning registered in her head. Her hand shot out and grabbed the book and flipped it open. Kaia fell silent.

"Did…Did Tsuna change his n-name for this?" she barely whispered. "Or was it based on him? And…there's…Gokudera Hayato – that's you – and…and everyone… Yamamoto Takeshi, every-" She gasped and flipped back a few pages, reading, eyes wide open.

_It's been a few days after I came to the future with Gokudera, Yamamoto, Kyoko, Haru, Lambo, I-Pin, and Kaia. I can't believe how much had ignored the poor girl. And to think- No, I shouldn't say this. Not yet. There is still a probability they would take a peek in the library and find this book. I mean, it is unavoidable that it would be found; it's so large. Come to think of it, I haven't seen Gokudera all morning. I remember wondering where he was that day. Kaia, naturally, wasn't there. I sometimes wonder where she goes. Sometimes I would think that she would have been wandering the halls, thinking, or probably helping Kyoko and Haru with Lambo and I-Pin, as well as the chores._

_I don't know why I insisted to put this book in the base; I remember, however, that this place wasn't destroyed after I left. It is safer than the Vongola Headquarters, where I soon learned was where I died. That was long ago. Still, in the Vongola base, I had rested for two weeks; the injury I sustained from Tasaru had kept me from training. Afterwards, I was introduced to boxes, and flames. Reborn was there as well; I remember complaining about how I was still Dame-Tsuna, looking up to Gokudera and Yamamoto for being experts at lighting their rings._

_Looking back, as an adult, an experienced crime mafia boss, those were a good, calm two weeks. To my younger self, it was a whirlwind. It was like sticking a goldfish into a fast-flowing river; the sudden rush and overwhelming load of pressure to soar over expectations and the loads of information to digest and crunch and spit out new ideas from. I don't quite remember absolutely everything, but I do remember the worrying about everyone's safety. I thought that since I thought it was wild, it was insane, it was confusing, I thought it would apply to everyone else. Since I was confused, I assumed everyone else was confused as well. In fact, looking back, I was probably the weak link the first few days, when I was befuddled by everything, confused, unknowing exactly what was going on, how important the magnitude of the matter really was. But after that, after a little training with the older Hibari, I caught up with my two closest friends. How I remember Hibari's part in this, it was the Vongola Trial. The time I acquired my VVRs, Version Vongola Ring. The time I found the true potential of myself. It was the time I finally began to look into the future – the future, as me, the Vongola Tenth._

"No…everything isn't t-true, right?!" Kaia gasped. "It isn't true, right?!" She looked back at the book. "If it is, then…Tsuna should be looking for you right now." Gokudera glanced at the book, then burst out the door.

"Juudaime!! Juudaime!!"

For some reason, everything suddenly blacked out. Kaia fell over on the ground.

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"Ah, so it has been found," remarked Hibari. "The Book of the Vongola." He looked down on the ground. "And to be found by such a specific person, even."

"How long has the Book been in hiding?" Reborn asked.

"Too long," answered Hibari. "And if it stays here any longer, it would probably suffer further damage. I will take it into custody."

"Are you sure I can trust you with it?" Reborn asked.

"You're dead," answered Hibari. "I don't think you can remember any promises I've broken, can't you?" Reborn looked down to Kaia's unmoving form.

"Ria…that girl is…" Reborn shook his head in wonder. He looked to Hibari. "You've given her up?"

"You wish," Hibari muttered. "Life gave up on her." He sighed. "You wouldn't know how surprised, yet not surprised, I am at her appearance here."

"She is part of the Family now," answered Reborn. "Ria is. Kaia cannot be told anything; the Ninth ordered it to be so, as well as Allegra and Soto. At least not yet."

"You still use those old names?" Hibari glanced at Reborn. Reborn looked back.

"Well, I'm from ten years ago," he answered. "What do you think?"

"The Book is a fake."

"Of course," answered Reborn. "The true Vongola Books are buried in time; this is the copy. But it is the only copy we know of with the entire collection in it."

"It hides many secrets," nodded Hibari. Reborn didn't reply; he looked down to Kaia.

"It's only been one day," said Reborn. "And she knows too much."

"No; she is emptying her mind. Ria is, I mean," said Hibari, frowning, catching on. "When Kaia gets up again, she will not know anything about the Vongola, nothing about the contents of the Book. Ria knows Kaia will get out of control, as her mental state is a mess." He looked to Reborn. "That is, ten years ago, I believe." Reborn looked curiously at Hibari.

"When exactly was Kaia told of this?" he asked carefully. Hibari was silent.

"I am not supposed to tell you, baby [akanbo]," he answered. "You are from the past. However, I can tell you that she did go to a mafia university with the Vongola Family."

"The one and only Riquite?" Reborn raised an eyebrow in expectation. Hibari nodded.

"The one and only," he confirmed. "I will be going now, baby [akanbo]." He took the bulky book in his hand and walked off, out of the library. Reborn just watched him go, looked back to Kaia, and frowned. This was a lot harder than he had originally planned for Raiahu Kaiashi.

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Yes, the secret society that kept the records were the Cervello. Yes, Kaia had mysteriously stumbled upon the same book that was sacred and had disappeared from the face of the earth. And yes, Kaia knows absolutely everything there is to know about the Vongola, but wipes it completely out of her mind. And to identify the book Kaia was sleeping on before she woke up, it was one of the volumes depicting the construction of boxes. By Geppetto Lorenzini.

That was really interesting for a really late update. [SORRY! Dx]

Please review now that you're done with reading the update! Thanks so much for reading! :]

Have an awesome remainder of summer! [Darn, school starts in only a few days! D:]


	106. Astonishment and Suspicion

Thanks so much for reading last update! :D

Ahh, and meerla11 reviewed! With a few questions, but they can be answered. :]

Actually, the future Tsuna wrote that stuff in the book. Before he died and after he became the Tenth, I think. Gokudera panicking? Tsuna's been looking for him that morning. No doubt Gokudera would be freaking out for making his own absence a problem with the Tenth. xD

The updated scoreboard:

**Gokudera/Kaia: 10** [and 1 1/2 re-votes from Shin] [another re-vote from Crazee4anime] [a re-vote from little-L.A.M.] [a re-vote from meerla11]

**Mukuro/Kaia: 9** [and 5 re-votes from Shin] [one of the votes are from Shoko-Chan, and she re-votes twice]

**Belphegor/Kaia: 8 **[a re-vote from The Great Pineapple MEKI] [a re-vote from RemStrike78] [and a re-vote from AkaMizu-Chan] [kaitlin177 re-votes four times]

**Hibari/Kaia: 6 **[a re-vote from that~one]

Yamamoto/Chrome: 2 [and 2 re-votes from Shin] [and a re-vote from Banyou]

Hibari/Haruka: 2 [and another re-vote from Shin]

Mukuro/Kaia with a Hibari twist: 1 [and 3 re-votes from Shoko-Chan]

Belphegor/Kaia with a Mukuro twist: 1

**Soto/Kaia: 1**

**Byakuran/Kaia: 1**

Xanxus/Kaia: 1

Vote for your favorite pairing! :]

A reminder: I'm also accepting battle requests, as well as song requests. Feel free to suggest something! :D

Well, I shouldn't delay you too much from reading the update, but a note: Ria appears again. More about it after you read the update.

Happy Reading, and please review! :D

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Reborn was extremely happy at the end of the thirteen days. Not only did Ria pass the trial Reborn gave her, he was going to let loose a monster on her. Not exactly a monster, but the ultimate test whether her plan works against a ring-and-box user. Reborn sat, waiting patiently for Ria to come for the final test. It was ten at night now. Hibari stood by as well. He yawned.

"To think you're making me work over-time…" he mumbled ironically. He smirked. "Baby [akanbo], when exactly will Kaia be here? If not Ria, of course."

"We'll see," answered Reborn. He smiled. If she was taking a bit longer to prepare, she had quite a show in store for Hibari. The door opened.

"Ahh…I think Reborn called me here…" Kaia said in a small voice, looking around. She gasped. "This is such an awesome place…" She gaped, looking around. "Amazing~! [Suuu-goi!!]"

"She's here," Reborn said to Hibari. "But as Kaia." Hibari frowned in disappointment.

"She still is unable to control her flame, however," Reborn frowned. "It seems Soto had tried to have her control it for years; it didn't work." Hibari just nodded silently.

"I should just begin," said the Cloud Guardian, reaching inside his jacket for his box. He looked at Kaia. She turned.

"Ehh? Hibari-sempai, you look a little different…" Kaia blinked, walking towards them. She grinned. "And you're taller, too!!" Hibari frowned. Reborn turned grim.

"I'll bite you to death. [Kamikorosu.]" Hibari's ring lit up in purple, and his porcupine appeared out of its box. The porcupine came speeding at incredible speeds at Kaia. It closed in, and it came closer, and it hit the wall. A crash echoed throughout the room. The wall of the training room crumbled. "That's it?"

"No." Hibari suddenly doubled over in pain. He felt nauseous, and his head hurt as if it were splitting in half. "That was not it." He gritted his teeth, holding in the unbearable pain, letting only a few groans describe what he felt. The Cloud Guardian looked all around him; but his vision blurred. It was Kaia's voice, alright. She had survived.

"I think this is what one unit of Non-Trinisette rays would do to an Arcobaleno like Reborn," Ria stepped into view, smiling. "But _two measly units_ would do _this_." Hibari choked and fell to his knees, his body trembling and shaking uncontrollably.

"What-" he choked. Hibari gritted his teeth and forced himself to look up. The familiar, innocent face of Ria came into view. "You can-"

"No," Ria grinned playfully. "I'm just playing with you. It was an illusion, stupid. Of course, you don't want me to make you start coughing up blood, right?" Hibari frowned. The pain subsided. But with the pain, his hedgehog disappeared. Ria remained looking at him, smiling. "I like to play games, but don't get me wrong here, I'm not Rokudo Mukuro. Now, that Mukuro is _truly_ stupid."

Hibari was plainly baffled. Not only had she displayed an adequate amount of knowledge about the era, she could _conjure illusions of physical pain_. He couldn't remember such a thing from the past; all her techniques had been kept hidden, much like how Byakuran's techniques had been. Was an illusion of pain even possible?!

"Of course, if you wanted to bite me to death, you can," she smiled. "I just wanted to make sure I can at least survive a member of the Millifore." Ironic, yet again. She could take on two captains at a time if she could force the future Hibari to his knees. Hibari checked his pocket; both boxes were still in there, unopened. He had unknowingly released a figment of Ria's imagination, having released his box so many times he ceased having to look. He sighed. Reborn was astonished that it would have been done so quickly.

"Well, baby [akanbo], its about time we all got some sleep; I still have them to do tomorrow," yawned Hibari. He nodded in Ria's direction and smiled. Ria smiled back. Though she wasn't happy she didn't get to show her best, she was content she passed. Now she left to go back to her room, lock herself in, and get a good, long rest – sleep.

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Six days to countdown. Five days to countdown. Four days to countdown. And finally, Kaia awakes.

Chrome's internal organs had failed and recovered. Kaia had slept through Mukuro's defeat. The decision was made.

The dies were cast.

She rubbed her eyes, completely unaware of everything happening outside of her room, and yawned. There was a low bang, like a muffle sonic boom. Kaia was jolted awake. For some reason, she was so tired and out-of-energy she felt dead. She sighed and tried to focus her thoughts. She shook her hair so that the bed-head would go away, jumped into her regular clothes, and rushed out of her room, tripping over something. She looked back.

"Ahh- Lambo-kun! I-Pin-chan!" Kaia looked way up. "Who…?" She blinked cluelessly.

"Fuuta," he filled in for her. "I'm Fuuta, remember? I grew up!!" Kaia smiled. _Yet another person who knows…_

"Hi, Fuuta!! What time is it right now?" she beamed. Fuuta frowned.

"Around three in the afternoon I think…" he scratched his head. Kaia smiled.

"Thanks!" and with that, she ran off. She wanted to investigate that little 'alarm clock' that had shaken her awake a few minutes ago. The path she took went past the library; she wanted to check something there as well.

…Yeah. She hadn't expected another alarm clock to be waiting there as well.

She was running down the hall as fast as she could. She saw Yamamoto and Reborn just around the bend, peeking in through a door to the library. Kaia wasn't sure why they were doing that, but Yamamoto turned, alerting Tsuna of something. Kaia quickened her pace; she wanted to see what was going on. Yamamoto tackled Tsuna down right when a beam of red came blasting through the wall. Kaia was centimeters from being burned to crisp. She had stopped dead in her tracks just as that beam of flame went by. She hadn't a single clue what that was, and she just stood there, gaping. From the smoke and debris of the library's remains, stepped out Gokudera.

"All right," he mumbled to himself, glancing here and there. "I've figured out how to complete the Sistema C.A.I. All that's left is… How am I going to explain this little guy to Juudaime?!" Gokudera grumbled here and there, the cat with flaming ears meowing here and there. The Storm Guardian caught sight of his Boss.

"Ahh! Juudaime!!" Gokudera immediately paled. "I'm sorry I-"

"Aww, it's so cute!!" squealed Kaia, emerging from the smoke from the other side. She jumped and snatched the kitty from Gokudera's head. "What's its name??"

"Uri," grumbled Gokudera. He turned to Tsuna. "Juudaime, I'm so sorr-"

"It's hungry," remarked Yamamoto. "I used to have a cat around my house; cats do that when they're hungry." Gokudera growled, seething with anger.

"Jaa, let's go to the kitchen," smiled Tsuna. He looked back. "Kaia? Bring…Uri please." Kaia nodded.

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"Uwaahhh, it's a little cat!" smiled Kyoko.

"It's so cute!" agreed Haru.

"I'm very sorry, Juudaime!! I destroyed the wall of the reference room during my training…" Gokudera bowed, blurting out everything so that he wouldn't be interrupted again. "And-"

"It's the library," corrected Kaia. "Libraries have books. That 'reference room' has books too. So it's a _library_." She laughed and fed Uri another sardine from the jar of salted and dried fish. Gokudera grumbled. Tsuna blinked in confusion.

"I haven't seen you around for the past few days… where have you been?" Tsuna asked Kaia. Kaia looked back; something clicked.

"Ohh…no wonder… I slept a straight three-and-a-half days!!" she beamed, as if she were insane. And she really did look it; her bed-head wasn't quite gone yet. She tossed another sardine to Uri, who caught it with perfect precision. She, in truth, hadn't even eaten for the past few weeks. She hadn't even eaten a single thing since she came. Kaia had no idea how she could be so hungry, and yet seem like she had been fed well for these past weeks. She resisted the urge to snatch a sardine from the jar; it was for Uri.

She tossed another sardine to the box weapon.

"Why were you training in the library?" Tsuna whispered to Gokudera.

"I prefer to start my training from pencil and paper…" remarked Gokudera. "But…I accidentally let this guy out… I wanted to put him back inside the box, but he resisted and came scratching at me…" He scratched his head in embarrassment. Fuuta stepped up.

"In that case, you could have simply extinguished the flames on your ring," Fuuta said. "Since box weapons cannot move without the flames."

"I know that," Gokudera grumbled. "But, when I was about to cut off the flames, he gave me this painful-looking face…" Tsuna gaped at Gokudera in disbelief.

"This little guy has large paws, so I'm sure he'll grow up really big," beamed Kyoko, scratching Uri's head. Kaia tossed another sardine for Uri to catch.

"I've never heard of box weapons that can eat human food though…" remarked Fuuta.

"R-Really??" Gokudera jumped. "He was chewing on everything so I thought he was just hungry…" He approached Uri nervously. "I guess I should return him to the box… He's not much use of a weapon either…" Kaia threw another sardine and 'missed,' hitting Gokudera.

Uri pounced at Gokudera. The girls all erupted into giggles.

"Well done, Hayato," said a purple-haired woman, standing at the entrance. "On skipping your training, and looking after your new pet." Tsuna turned.

"Bianchi!" Tsuna blinked. Kaia assumed this to be the woman's name. _So this is the future Bianchi? She…knows…too…_

"That's none of your business," Gokudera growled. "I've already understood Sistema C.A.I." He smirked. "How would you like to test it out?"

"AHHH!! There you all are!!" burst a familiar-looking man. Kaia raised an eyebrow. _Is this…that Sasagawa Ryohei-san?? _"We need to discuss the-uh, the next sumo wrestling tournament!! Come to the briefing room!!" Kaia frowned. It was obviously a lie; she was at least able to tell now, after the millions of lies Soto had told her when he had to go off into the night to do something mysterious. Kaia now believed he was going to do things related to the Vongola and everything, but no matter now. Soto was gone.

"Sumo wrestling…again?" mumbled Kyoko. Kaia looked at Kyoko weirdly, raising an eyebrow. _They actually believed it? And what does she mean by again?!_

"Ahh, well, Kaia, you seem to be hungry," remarked Kyoko. "You want me to cook something for you?"

"No, I'll cook myself. I've got a few good recipes I haven't tasted for quite a while," Kaia smiled.

"Well, then, I'll be going to get Chrome her meal," said Haru. Kaia froze.

"Ch-Chrome is here?!" she gasped, turning to face Haru. Kyoko and Haru turned.

"Y-Yeah…" Haru was confused. "What about it…?"

"Is she okay?" Kaia burst past Haru and Kyoko; she was sure of where Chrome would be. There wouldn't be any other place.

_Chrome…what happened?!_

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"Chrome!!" Kaia burst through the door of the infirmary. She fell silent. Chrome was stable, but she was supported by life-support, as well as a number of other machines. "Chrome…what happened?" She breathed a sigh of relief, and sat down on a stool beside her bed.

"_OH! I know! Maybe if there's cotton candy, let's stick our hands in the machine and lick it off our arms!!" laughed Kaia. Chrome giggled._

"_I really want to do that, too!"_

"_Let's do it together then, Chrome," beamed Kaia. "What do you want to do there, too? I'll join in~!"_

"_Uhh," Chrome thought a little bit, then began to panic. She had never been asked what she would like to do; usually she had to follow someone's orders. "I-I-I'll…"_

"_No ideas?" Kaia raised an eyebrow in good humor. "Then I'll teach you how to get an idea! And a good one at that! How about that, Chrome?"_

"_S-Sure…" Chrome smiled gratefully at Kaia._

Kaia bit her lip. What had happened to get Chrome into such a state? She narrowed her eyes, recalling the fact that she was one of _them_. She stood up, and with one last glance, she left. The door closed shut with a light _click. _She stopped, suspicion taking control of her. Kaia entered the room again. She had heard a faint beeping of a machine among the noises of the machines keeping Chrome alive. The faint beeping – she had never heard it before. She quickly located the source; Chrome's bag.

She had a feeling Chrome wouldn't want her to look inside, but she had to look. She extended a hand inside; it was something like a triangle or pyramid. There was a light flashing on the top, and the beeping was coordinated with the light. She put it into her pocket and left. Kaia decided to give it to Chrome later; she wouldn't destroy it.

She looked around. She decided to go exploring; but first, the kitchen. She was starving beyond belief. But, she felt sleepy as well. It was unusual; she had slept through three and a half days already. How could she still be tired?

Kaia yawned and went to her room instead. She slammed the door shut and climbed into bed; the little machine Kaia had found in Chrome's bag, she put beside her bed.

"Good night…" she mumbled.

O0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Now, if the illusion that Ria could conjure could even fool Hibari, could she be making everybody think that she was doing it like a pro, and concealing the reality of her own fatigue under it? Is there even any fatigue at all, if Ria was that skilled? Could Ria herself be an illusion? Does Kaia really have a Storm Flame? It might be a Mist flame pretending to be a Storm Flame.

Well, the fatigue is evident. She slept for half a week in one sitting, and is still deathly tired. Hmm…

I'll leave you readers to think about that.

Anyway, thanks so much for reading! Now, please review, now that you've finished reading! :D

I accept praise, suggestions, flames, whatever you have to say with open arms, a hug, and a big wide smile! :]

Tune in next time~!


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